The South African Lacrosse Association (SALA) became the 69th country to join World Lacrosse on Thursday, making South Africa the fourth African nation to be admitted to the international lacrosse federation.
Chris Boushy, an NLL player for the Halifax Thunderbirds and native of South Africa, created the SALA in 2020, building further upon the foundation laid by the South African Lacrosse Project (SALP) beginning in 2007.
“It’s been quite a journey to get to this point and we are excited about what lies ahead,” Boushy, who serves as SALA President, said in a statement. “Our goals are quite simple: to get as many kids as possible to start playing lacrosse, in every and any way we can do that, whether that’s through partnering with charities like the Boys and Girls Clubs or developing on where we have already seen lacrosse have some success in areas such as the Limpopo Province.
“Hopefully, in the next decade, we will be able to send teams to represent South Africa on the World Championship stage,” he continued. “If we lay the groundwork now and do so in an orderly fashion and make sure it’s done right, I think that’s something we can surely do.”
SALA became the sixth new member welcomed into World Lacrosse in the last 18 months, joining Lithuania Lacrosse, Barbados Lacrosse Association, Panama Lacrosse Association, Dominican Republic Lacrosse, and US Virgin Islands Lacrosse Association as the most recent additions since December 2019.
World Lacrosse President Sue Redfern endorsed South Africa’s inclusion in the federation, now the fourth African member in World Lacrosse along with the Ghana Lacrosse Association, Kenya Lacrosse Association, and Uganda Lacrosse Association.
“This is a wonderful example of volunteers coming together to create life-changing opportunities for young people through participation in lacrosse,” Redfern said in a release. “It is particularly inspiring to see an athlete who is at the top of his game so focused on giving back and creating pathways for young people in South Africa to pursue our great game. We congratulate and thank Chris Boushy and everyone associated with the South African Lacrosse Association for becoming our newest member.”
Now for the other lacrosse news for the week of April 13-19, 2021:
Last Week in Lacrosse
-Another season bites the dust. Holy Cross released a statement Wednesday saying that the men’s and women’s 2021 seasons would be cancelled.
-We’ve got a DI goalie goal! Maryland goalie Logan McNaney made the SportsCenter Top 10 with a long bomb for a goalie while two men down.
–The all-time goals record has fallen. Penn State’s Mac O’Keefe broke Justin Guterding’s record of 212 goals Saturday, and he did so in 11 fewer games.
-Albany’s NLL franchise announced its name, going with the FireWolves as their mascot.
-The lone player on Yale’s campus continues his work. The Yale Daily News takes a look at Skyler Wilson’s unique freshman year.
-Dox Aitken was supposed to be playing football at Villanova. Instead, thanks to the pandemic, he’s once again helping to lead the Virginia offense.
-How are the men’s brackets shaping up, as the regular season enters its fourth quarter? US Lacrosse has you covered.
-Jim Stagnitta has two PLL championship rings…and his first win as a high school head coach.
Get Caught Up on LAS Content!
Miss out on what we did last week? Here’s a recap of some of our top content from the last seven days:
Here Come the Jumbos! DII/DII Round Up
It was a huge week in DII and DIII men’s lacrosse. Ryan Kuhn gives you the round up on some of the biggest action from the divisions from the week.
College Lacrosse Jerseys – Top 10 Fits in the Men’s Game
What is lacrosse without the jerseys? These are the top-10 fits in the modern men’s game, according to Ryder Cochrane.
NAIA Conference Tournaments Primer – The Postseason Takes Shape
Jonathan Vance takes you through what the NAIA men’s conference tournaments are looking like as the postseason nears closer and closer.
Uncaged: A Goalie Runs Free
Ronnie Fernando shares his box lacrosse story, from how he was first introduced to it as a kid growing up in Southern California to how it came back into his life during the pandemic and more.
Top 5 Square Dance: NCAA DI Men’s Weekly Rankings Week 9 Ballots
With some major ACC outcomes and the Terps cruising, the top five had plenty of movement for Ryan Conwell and Nick Zoroya.
Florida Southern – Inside Game Week
Florida Southern men’s lacrosse head coach Marty Ward explains the ins and outs of what a game week at Florida Southern looks like this season.
Tewaaraton Watch 2021: Jared Bernhardt Grabs Command
Our esteemed panel reconvened after three weeks after updated what the Tewaaraton race looks like. Maryland’s Jared Bernhardt has leapt into the lead, but there are some serious challengers on his tail.
Juilet Barnes and Christian Esposito – Going Offsides
Christina Esposito takes over the Going Offsides podcast for an episode to talk with her former Northwestern teammate and current athletic trainer Juliet Barnes. The two discuss how to take of yourself on and off the field, navigating and preventing injuries, communicating injuries with your coach and more.
