Lacrosse has a rich history that covers many centuries. The sport’s beginning starts with the Indigenous peoples of North America. These early competitions were more than recreational, they held significant cultural and spiritual importance, often serving as rituals and training for war.

​

The game’s evolution saw it adapt and grow in popularity, with various tribes and communities developing their unique rules and playing styles.

 

European settlers in the 17th century observed and adopted lacrosse, which eventually helped lead to its widespread recognition.

 

Over time, organized leagues and clubs emerged, cementing lacrosse’s position as one of the most thrilling and competitive team sports in the world. With its rich heritage and continuous global expansion, lacrosse remains a symbol of tradition, athleticism and cultural unity, reflecting both its origins and the diverse communities that have embraced it.

​

The games were seen as major events, which took place over several days.They were played over huge open areas between villages and the goals, which might be trees or other natural features, were anything from 500 yards to several miles apart.

​

Any number of players were involved. Some estimates have mentioned between 100 and 100,000 players participating in a game at any one time. The rules were very simple, the ball was not to be touched by a player’s hand and there were no boundaries. The ball was tossed into the air to indicate the start of the game and players raced to be the first to catch it.

​

Lacrosse games were played for a number of reasons. It was considered a sport that toughened up young warriors for war, but it was also a game played for recreation and for religious reasons. 

​

A demonstration of lacrosse was given by the Caughnawaga Indians in Montreal in 1834. As a result, interest in the game began to develop in Canada. By 1860, lacrosse had become Canada’s national summer game and in 1867, exhibition games were played in England. 

​

Initially lacrosse was a school-based game and clubs followed later. The first club to be founded was the Southern Ladies Club in England in 1905.

The Ladies Lacrosse Association was founded in England in 1912 and international matches began in the following year.

​

The Scottish Ladies Lacrosse Association was founded in 1920 and at that stage international matches with England were placed on an official footing. Wales and then Ireland founded their organizations in 1930.

​

Rosabelle Sinclair, an alumnus of St Leonards and a former Scottish lacrosse player, was instrumental in establishing the game of lacrosse for women in the United States.

Despite earlier attempts by other enthusiasts, it was not until Rosabelle started a girls’ high school team in 1926 at Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland, that lacrosse became popular in other nearby schools. The United States formed their organization, the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Association, in 1931.

​

Lacrosse was played by women in Victoria, Australia, in 1936 but it was not until 1962 that they founded their national organization, the Australian Women’s Lacrosse Council. Canada selected an international team in 1982 to take part in the first World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, which took place in Nottingham, England.

​

​*Information courtesy of USLacrosse