When events such as the Rugby or Football World Cup come around every four years, the world’s sporting fans are hooked. The newspapers are filled with match reports and broadcasters obsess over the results, whether you want to or not it’s is hard to escape these sporting phenomenon. However, where there is extreme coverage of mainstream sports in the climax of their sporting calendar, the majority of amateur sports fall at the polar opposite end of the spectrum with extremely little media attention. It is for this reason that you are probably unaware that this summer will see the FIL Lacrosse World Championships take place.
Held in Ontario, Canada, the very best teams from throughout the world will gather for the biggest event in the lacrosse calendar. The reigning champions the USA will be looking to retain their title, with Australia set to pose a serious threat to the World Champions. Other teams looking to finish on the podium are 3rd, 4th and 5th seeds Canada, England and Wales. However, unlike professional sporting championships, the Lacrosse World Cup is used as an opportunity to develop the sport with 3 countries making their debut on the international stage.
The first World Cup began in 1982 and consisted only of 6 nations, 31 years later the sport has flourished and now boasts 19 competing countries. Nevertheless, lacrosse is still very much a developing sport and only in the USA does it stand as an equal to mainstream sports such as football, rugby, hockey and golf. America’s successful model of competitive lacrosse is one which all playing nations aspire to, yet there is still a long way to go before the sport reaches that level on a global scale. It is for this reason that the 2013 World Championships is more than just a tournament, but it is also a celebration of the sport’s development, and this year’s competition has a lot to celebrate.
Women’s lacrosse is really starting to make a name for itself across the world. It is starting to be seen as more than just a ‘posh girl’ sport and has been nicknamed ‘the fastest game on two feet’. Lacrosse requires strength, speed, endurance, tactics and skill, and in itself is undoubtedly one of the most complex and demanding sports played today. The hard work put in by the Federation of International Lacrosse has been rewarded through acceptance into the 2017 World Games, the multi-sport event for non-olympic sports such as squash, netball and gymnastics tumbling. With more and more people playing the sport at all levels, the ultimate aspiration is to see Lacrosse become an Olympic sport.
However, for now we will have to settle for the World Championships and see the very best lacrosse players on the planet push themselves to the max, in an attempt to make their country and their teammates proud.
For more information about the 2013 Lacrosse World Cup visit the website: http://www.2013worldlacrosse.com/
Image credits: www.laxbuzz.com, www. filacrosse.com, Joanne Van-Praag