MEDAL HOPES AT THE WORLD GAMES DASHED FOR GB AND IRELAND

The lacrosse competition at The World Games 2025 has drawn to a close, with the medal matches featuring three of the top four seeded teams from 2022. As many had anticipated, the USA and Canada met in the gold medal showdown - a rematch of the 2022 final. This time, the USA turned the tables, delivering a commanding performance to avenge their previous TWG defeat and claim the top spot on the podium. The bronze medal clash saw former number three seed Australia face Japan - a nation that has made remarkable strides in both field and Sixes lacrosse in recent years. In the end, Australia prevailed to retain their bronze medal, while one notable absence from the podium was Great Britain.

For GB, the tournament’s conclusion was a historic low. Defeat to Japan in their final pool match ended their medal hopes and confirmed they would finish The World Games - their last before the 2028 Olympics - with their lowest ever result. Yet their campaign had begun brightly. An emphatic opening victory over China, marked by a staggering 22-goal margin, gave the squad early confidence heading into a stern test against reigning champions Canada. That match could have gone GB’s way, with only five goals separating the sides - a far cry from the heavier defeats Canada had traditionally dealt them. However, the loss foreshadowed challenges ahead. In their decisive game against Japan, a spate of first-half penalties set the tone for a fiery contest, ultimately ending in a historic Japanese victory and their best-ever senior women’s championship finish. GB’s final match - a win over 2022’s last-place Czechia - secured fifth place, just outside the top four.

Ireland’s TWG debut brought an element of unpredictability, with little precedent for how their Sixes game would measure up against the world’s best. Three pool-play losses left them battling host nation China for seventh place. Backed by a home crowd, China posed a potential threat, but Ireland delivered a decisive performance, conceding only five goals while netting 19 of their own. The result earned them a creditable seventh-place finish at their first ever world Sixes tournament.