IT’S TIME TO STEP UP FOR THE U20S
Limerick, Ireland was the home of the Men’s U20 World Championships in 2022, marking only the second appearance for its host nation at the then 34-year-old event. That year was an eventful one for the U20 teams, something we’ve come to expect from these men’s World events. 23 teams travelled to Ireland to compete in the biggest men’s U20 Championship to-date, with the USA, Canada, and Haudenasaunee all taking medals back across the pond. Of our own nations, England had the best finish in sixth, followed by Ireland in seventh, and Wales trailing in 18th place. Scotland did not feature at these championships for the first time since their debut in 2008. This year it will only be England and Ireland who travel to Jeju Island in Korea to compete against 18 other nations this August, marking a slight downsize in the event which takes place every four years. Whilst England have once taken home bronze in this event back in 1999 (a number of years before the players in this year’s squad were even born), there is doubt surrounding their likelihood for success in Korea. It’s a similar story for Ireland, and frankly for any team outside of the Big Five: USA, Canada, Haudenasaunee, Australia and Japan; the latter of which has been on an upward trajectory across each of their programmes since 2022, and will no doubt cause havoc for England and Ireland once again this year.
At the end of May this year, England Lacrosse (EL) announced their 22-player squad who had been selected to compete in the Men’s U20 World Championships, and it’s no secret that views on the squad were mixed. Head Coach Mike Armstrong will make his world coaching debut at this years’ championships, and has publicly expressed that he is “happy” with the group of players they have on the squad, and will “make the most of the competition and the opportunity in August in Korea”. A somewhat unemotional praise of his team which preceded a statement regarding the mix of experience in this squad:
“The new players have had experience of international lacrosse over a couple of days at the Home International Series in April but to be able to gain experience of doing that over two and a half weeks as a young athlete really sets them up for what comes next in their lacrosse careers.”