I get many press releases come in through the e-mail address associated with this blog and I rarely do much with them. However once in a while I see something which I think would be interesting to use and comment on. One of those things happened this morning when I got a press release about the women’s lacrosse world cup. This event got underway yesterday and I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse of sport but I hadn’t even come across one single murmur on this event and it is going on right here in the UK, Guildford to be precise.
In the notes section English Lacrosse state that, ‘English Lacrosse drives participation of the sport in England. Lacrosse has experienced unprecedented growth over the last five years with now over 30,000 people picking up a stick and playing the game each year. With the 2017 FIL Rathbones Women’s World Cup taking place in England, the exposure and interest in our game has never been greater.‘
My knowledge of lacrosse is minimal but I know former Penn State running back Evan Royster played the sport and I’m pretty sure Chris Hogan of the Super Bowl winning New England Patriots did as well, also at Penn State.
Below is the press release and here is the playing schedule, so if you are in the area and fancy watching some top level sporting action then get down to Guildford’s Surrey Sports Park at some point over the next ten days…
The FIL Rathbones Women’s Lacrosse World Cup kicked off today at Guildford’s Surrey Sports Park, with tournament hosts England facing off against Wales.
England got their 2017 FIL Rathbones Women’s Lacrosse World Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 12-6 victory over home nation rivals Wales.
A strong all-round display spearheaded by England captain and game MVP, Laura Merrifield, saw the hosts home after a tight first-half.
Princess Anne, who has been the patron of English Lacrosse for more than 20 years, attended the opening ceremony yesterday, marking the start of the largest women’s sporting event in the UK during 2017.
Twenty five nations will play a total of 97 games of lacrosse over the course of the tournament, building to the showpiece final on Saturday 22nd July.
A 2,500 seat stadium has been created around the main pitch at Surrey Sport Park. A total of 17,000 tickets have been sold for the event, reflecting the worldwide growth in popularity of the sport.
Mark Coups, CEO, English Lacrosse, commented: “What a fantastic way to kick of FIL Rathbones Women’s Lacrosse World Cup. Whether you’re an avid follower of the sport, or a new-comer, we encourage everyone to get involved and join in the fun. We look forward to welcoming fans and players from all around the world to Surrey, for what is set to be a thrilling tournament.”
Philip Howell, Chief Executive of investment management firm, Rathbones, commented: “2017 is shaping up to be a watershed year for women in sports, with events such as the Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup, and FIL Rathbones Women’s Lacrosse World Cup set to boost interest in women’s sports. It’s our hope that the Rathbones World Cup will inspire existing and prospective lacrosse players to pick up a stick and get involved. We at Rathbones are very passionate about the opportunities and values that sport provides, such as team work, commitment and resilience. We are proud of our collaboration with English Lacrosse and Lacrosse Scotland over the past 6 years and look forward to a brilliant world cup.
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