Lacrosse has been around for centuries, in one form or another, but still there are many people who have not even heard of this fantastic sport. It has its roots in north America but has since spread to many other countries, especially Britain and Australia. The most recent men's world championships saw 21 countries taking part, many of them recent European converts. A guide to European countries which play lacrosse can be found at europeanlacrosse.org.
So what is lacrosse? If you've never seen a game, you're in for a treat. Firstly, some explanation may be necessary. Like field hockey, it involves two teams, two goals, one ball and one stick per player. Unlike field hockey, the ball doesn't roll on the ground but can be picked up in the pocket of the stick, and thrown and caught. Yes, you can run with the ball, yes there are goalkeepers, and no, it's not that dangerous. There are both men's and women's versions of the game, and you can check out more in lacrosse basics.
15th - 24th July 2010 : the 2010 Men's World Championships, Manchester, England
The next big events are:
21st - 28th May 2011: the 2011 Men's Indoor World Championships, Prague, Czech Republic - see wilcprague2011.com
2012: the European Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands
2014: the next Men's World Championships will be held in Denver, Colorado, USA.
For details and results from recent international championships, including the 2009 Women's World Championships in Prague, see the championships page.