Lee-Whitehead on England’s hopes of back-to-back Euros titles

Defender Albert Lee-Whitehead will appear at his fifth major tournament for England when he takes to the floor in Prague, Czechia at the 2026 European Box Lacrosse Championships next week.

Only captain and all-time most capped player Tom Roche (43 caps) and retired goalie Eliot Pugh (37 caps) have made more appearances for England, something that Lee-Whitehead doesn’t take for granted.

“Every trial period, I'm expecting not to make the team, and it's a testament to how far box lacrosse has come. When I first started, it was a bit like if you play box, you kind of make the squad, whereas now there’s a lot of talent.

“Box has come so far domestically, but it's always such an honour to be selected for England. So the first game when you're wearing the jersey, you're singing the anthem, playing with the squad, it's such a nice dynamic across everyone that anyone who comes in feels part of the squad and it is such an honour to wear the England badge on your jersey.”

England head into the 2026 Euros as reigning champions, having lifted the trophy for the first time at the last tournament in 2022, and off the back of an impressive second successive fourth place finish at the World Championships two years ago.

“None of us expected to win it last time but we all hoped.

“I think we've proved that we have the talent in England to do so and this time we just know that we're likely to have a target on our back. But that comes with the territory of playing for England really, so I don't think it's any different.

“It's more we think that other teams are going to respect us maybe a different way than they have done in previous tournaments. So we just go in thinking every game is important, face every opponent like they’re the best team in the world, and then we just play as hard as we can and do what we can do.”

As England head into an eighth major tournament since their debut at the World Championship in Halifax, Canada, Lee-Whitehead thinks this current crop of players are some of the best prepared there has ever been.

“You see it in training sessions, to be able to have such quality reps and it not feel, not a waste of time, I think that's disrespectful to people who played before, but everyone was inexperienced, so it can feel a bit disjointed, whereas now everyone knows what we're doing, everyone knows what each drill is, so when we go into it, everyone's kind of prepared and ready to go.

“This group of players is so talented, it's such an honour for me to see so many players come through from when I first started. I think it's just me and Tom Roche, from the first Euros in 2017 so to me, I'm playing with some new people each time, which is amazing, but they're talented players.”

With just a week to go until England take on the Netherlands in their first group stage match at the Euros, Lee-Whitehead is already dreaming of a final match and the possibility of claiming back-to-back titles.

“First off, it's getting through the first couple of games. It's the generic stuff, but there's no reason why we can't go into this thinking we can win it. And we're a squad of confident players. We just need to match that confidence with our play.

“The first goals are going to be getting through that first game against the Netherlands, hopefully come out with a win, play some good lacrosse, get some goals for our offence, get some stops, see how we start to gel, and as the tournament goes on, hopefully we're still playing in those later games.”

England begin their Euro title defence at 3:30pm (UK) on Friday 26 June against the Netherlands.

For more information about the England squad, click HERE and for more information about the 2026 European Box Lacrosse Championships, click HERE.