Like a number of other sports, Lacrosse has recently introduced a new, speedier format of the sport – Lacrosse Sixes. It is fast and furious, with six players per side, a condensed game length (four 8-minute quarters) and a 30-second shot clock. One of the first tournaments using this exciting new format was at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama.
“It was an amazing experience to be a part of. We learnt a lot about the new format; its pace, and how to control momentum in such a quick game,” says Great Britain team captain Emma Oakley. “Played on a smaller field with fewer players than the traditional game, it makes for a fast, dynamic and very exciting sport.”
‘Sixes’ tests to the full all the skills of Lacrosse. “Athleticism, quick thinking, stick skills and a great shot are just some of the key traits of a good Lacrosse player,” says Oakley.
Creating a successful team
“Most importantly though,” emphasizes Oakley, “Lacrosse is a team sport, so being a team player and making great connections with your team-mates is pivotal.” With this in mind, the British Lacrosse team have been training hard for the Games in Chengdu with monthly training camps, bringing all the players based around Great Britain together.
“To really make the most of our time together, we often have residential weekends. It’s brilliant that we have the opportunity to meet as a group regularly, to grow the team both on and off the field,” Oakley continues.
And last October, two British Lacrosse teams travelled to Indianapolis (USA) and Vancouver (Canada) to play some of the world’s best countries in tournaments hosted by Team USA and Team Canada respectively. “It was a great learning opportunity for everyone in the squad.”
69 caps for England
Emma Oakley started playing Lacrosse at age 11. “I was hooked the moment I first played. I worked my way through the England academies during my teenage years and at age 20 received my first cap playing for England.”
Now age 29, she has gone on to play for England 69 times, and has captained the team for the last couple of seasons. Team England won bronze at both the 2017 (Guildford, England) and 2022 (Baltimore, USA) Lacrosse World Championships, and won three European Gold Medals at the Lacrosse European Championships in 2015 (Czech Republic), 2019 (Israel) and 2024 (Portugal).
Oakley has played for Great Britain in 18 formal international matches since 2021, when the new Sixes format was introduced. As well as at The World Games 2022, she has captained the British team in various other tournaments. “We hope we will have some further international competition this spring, ahead of The World Games team travelling to Chengdu in August,” she says.
‘Unfinished business’ from 2022
Great Britain placed fourth in the Lacrosse Sixes tournament at The World Games in 2022.
“We feel there is unfinished business there – this will certainly form part of our motivation going into Chengdu 2025! With many new faces in the GBR squad since 2022, we have been really focused on building on those foundations and evolving our technical and tactical game, ready to make our mark on the world stage this summer,” tells Oakley.
And what are the feelings of the Great Britain Lacrosse squad, as they prepare for the long trip to China?
“The team are very excited for Chengdu; we don’t often get the opportunity to play Lacrosse in Asia, so to play in China will be an incredible experience,” Oakley says.
“The World Games is an amazing multi-sport event, and the buzz around the event, surrounded by other athletes, is something we are really excited to get back to after 3 years!”