WITH lacrosse set to return to the Olympics in 2028, several former Monmouth School for Girls students who represented Wales at the Lacrosse Home Internationals in Cardiff this month are hoping to be involved.
Maddie Jones played for the Wales Senior Women, while Florrie Taylor (captain), Zoë Cripwell (vice captain) and Freya Taylor played for Wales U20s.
Both teams had an excellent tournament, with the U20s coming second, winning comfortably against Germany and Scotland whilst losing 13-7 to England, and the seniors finishing third.
The U20 Welsh team now have their sights on the World Championships in Hong Kong this August.
Wales have been drawn in a group with Canada, the Haudenosaunee Native American team, China, Taipei, and Korea.
With the Haudenosaunee – formally the Iroquois Nation – the originators of the game, which they revere as a celebration of health, strength, courage, leadership, and fair play, and spiritually as a “medicine” game, lacrosse is set to return to the Olympics in Los Angeles in four years’ time.
The Haudenosaunee are a sovereign people whose teams travel internationally on their own passports, and have a nation-to-nation relationship with the United States and Canada.
And with 45 countries actively participating in women's lacrosse globally, the world championships in 2024, alongside other key tournaments such as the Home Internationals, will serve as a pivotal stepping stone towards the Games, with Welsh athletes targeting places in the British Lacrosse squad for the momentous event.
The last time the sport featured in the Olympics was 76 years ago in London 1948 as a demonstration sport.
The Wales U20s are busy fundraising to go to the worlds, and anyone who can help help them can visit https://wales-u20-lacrosse.sumupstore.com/ for details of their GoFundMe page and online auction.
To sponsor the team, email [email protected]