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British Lacrosse National Championships
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British Lacrosse National Championship: 2015 Recap & Fixtures

The British Lacrosse National Championship (BNC) is always a highlight of my lacrosse year, providing a great opportunity to meet old friends and new, not only to talk stick tech (as many of you know I do!), but also to watch a fantastic showcase of lacrosse in the UK.

Originally the vision of English Lacrosse Association’s President elect Nick Kehoe, over the past 18 years the BNCs has evolved and developed into one of the best elite men’s lacrosse events this side of the pond and is held annually at Wilmslow Lacrosse Club, Manchester.

Starting out as a war of the roses, with the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire being the main contenders for the prestigious National Champion title and the Nick Kehoe Trophy (Cheshire winning the title 8 times!), the BNCs have now developed into a showcase, not only for elite lacrosse, but also for the development of the next generation of players who are given the chance to play with and against the UK’s finest.

This year’s tournament saw the biggest entry ever with some 320 players from across the country representing The English Academy, English Universities, North West England, North West Development, Scotland, Scottish League Select, The South, South Development, Wales, Welsh Universities, Yorkshire and Yorkshire Development.

British Lacrosse National Championships

Last year’s champions Yorkshire looked to defend their title but encountered very strong competition from North West England who ultimately beat The England Academy 7 – 1 in the championship final to take the 2015 title. Yorkshire still managed to take home the silverware beating Scotland 6 – 5 in OT to win the plate competition final.

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Championship Winner: North West
Runners-up: England Academy
MVP: Will Baxter, North West
Score: North West 7-1 England Academy

Plate Winners: Yorkshire
Runners-up: Scotland
MVP: Charles Syme, Scotland
Score: Yorkshire 6-5 Scotland (OT)

Development Winners: Scottish Select
Runner-up: South Development
MVP: Ben Stowe
Score: Scottish Select 6-5 South Development (OT)

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The development squads were a delight to watch, with an impressive performance from The England Academy players ahead of the England squad selection for the next U19 World Championship in 2016. Scotland and Wales also used the opportunity as part of their training for the European Lacrosse Championships which will take place in Hungry in 2016.

This year the BNC’s also went high-tech with the appearance of the NSS Lax Drone, a new concept for lacrosse in the UK being trialed by Northern Soul Sportswear, the largest multi-brand lacrosse retailer in the UK. I can’t wait to see the areal footage!

Lacrosse is continuing to grow in the United Kingdom (and across Europe) at a rapid rate. The BNC’s will always remain one of my favorite lacrosse weekends of the year and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing a number of players progress to represent their nation teams in next year’s international competitions.

Check out a selection of photos from the tournament below!

Photo credit: Lee Warburton and Mark Ferriss