Hull Lacrosse Club founder optimistic as sport is set to return to the Olympics in 2028

After a hiatus of over a century, lacrosse will be part of the Olympic Games for the first time since 1908!

When it made it's debut in the 1904 St Louis Olympics, the bronze medal was won by a team of Mohawk Indians whose names included Snake Eater, Rain in Face and Man Afraid Soap.

120 years later, the sport is preparing a big return to the most prestigious world games when Los Angeles host the 2028 Olympics.

However, the new Olympic format is not the usual lacrosse people might know of- it’s a reduced version- with 6 players on either side, as opposed to 10v10 or 12v12 in current versions.

It was included in the World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama which was seen as a test for its Olympic Inclusion.

We took the opportunity to catch up with the founder of Hull Lacrosse Club, Gareth Cornelius.

He told us, "The sport's never really had the exposure it's needed to capture a bigger audience, it's always been a little bit niche.

"Hopefully being in the Olympic Games again, after such a long absence as well, will bring it more into not just the Nation's conscious, but here in East Yorkshire, and encourage more people to take up the game."

Gareth set up Hull Uni Men's club in 2007 and Hull Lacrosse Club in 2008, the latter folded in 2019.

"The sad thing is that Olympic inclusion and the exposure it would create is exactly what we needed 10 years ago to help the sport grow in Hull!"

He went on to be Manager of Yorkshire Representative Lacrosse, as well as Assistant Manager for the England Men's team, and worked alongside Tom Wenham

Tom Wenham, who's now Head Coach of lacrosse Team GB, told us, "We had a team training session yesterday and the level of intensity and focus is now gone up a notch or two, it's really evident how excited everyone is to make the most of this opportunity."

He went on to say, "This is an absolutely historic and momentous moment for the sport, it really really doesn't get any bigger than this. To see lacrosse back in the Olympics is fantastic for all of us involved.

"The hope is that this could be a brilliant catalyst for huge change in the grassroots game. An opportunity to inspire the new generation of young lacrosse players, get new and more people involved in the game here in Yorkshire and across the whole nation."

Most recently, the Team GB lacrosse team finished first in the international Eurosixes competition in Portugal earlier this year (finals standings below).

FINAL STANDINGS:

1st – Great Britain

2nd – Switzerland

3rd – Turkey

4th – Spain

5th – Portugal

6th – Netherlands

7th – Belgium

8th – Ireland

Tom said, "While it's a little difficult to keep our feet on the ground after hearing the news, there's going to be a doubling down on ensuring we do the best we can in the immediate and the next tournaments on the horizon."

It looks like the future of lacrosse is bright, not just across East Yorkshire, but the whole world.