A record 30 nations are confirmed to compete for the 2021 World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship from July 7-17, 2021 at Towson (Md.) University in the United States. US Lacrosse will host the quadrennial championship for the first time since 2005.
The 30 teams earned their bids based on their placement at the 2017 World Lacrosse championship or their performances in their respective Continental Federation qualifiers.
The 11-day event is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors to the region. In addition to the World Lacrosse championship event, the World Festival Tournament will provide options for youth, high school and adult teams to experience the international flavor of the event. The World Festival Tournament will be held at Goucher College, located in close proximity to Towson University.
“We’re very much looking forward to welcoming the participants and guests from around the world to the United States and providing them an experience they’ll remember for the rest of their lives,” said Kim Rogers, director of special events for US Lacrosse. “The sport continues to thrive, and we’re thrilled to showcase the tremendous talent that women’s lacrosse has to offer.”
“With 30 National Teams confirming their participation, we have reached yet another important, and exciting milestone for the sport of lacrosse globally,” said Fiona Clark, World Lacrosse Board of Directors Member and Competition Director. “The growth of this World Championship is a reflection of how competition and opportunities for lacrosse continue to expand around the world, and that is due to the outstanding work of our member-National Governing Bodies and Continental Federations. Not only will this be the largest Women's World Championship ever staged by World Lacrosse, the overall depth and quality of play, across all 30 teams, will undoubtedly set a new standard for excellence.”
The United States has won the last three world championships, beating Canada 10-5 in Guildford, England in the 2017 gold medal game. England beat Australia 10-9 in four overtimes to claim the bronze medal, its first medal since 2005.
A then-record 25 teams competed in the 2017 world championship. By comparison, just 10 teams competed when US Lacrosse hosted the 2005 championship in Annapolis, Md. The first women’s world championship was held in 1982 and this will be the 11th time the event has been held.
This year’s field includes five teams that will be participating in the women’s world championship for the first time — Argentina, Jamaica, Norway, Puerto Rico and Uganda.