COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL), along with the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) and National Lacrosse Team Players’ Association (NLTPA), is excited to announce that Canada will travel to Netanya, Israel later this summer to defend its world championship title at the 2018 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championship. This news was made official following the ratification of an agreement between the players and the national governing body earlier today. 

 

The tentative agreement between the CLA and NLTPA, which was reached earlier this week with the help of the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL), was ratified by both the CLA Board and NLTPA members.   

 

“The CLA is pleased to have reached an agreement with the NLTPA that will allow Canada to be represented by its best players in Israel,” said Joey Harris, President, Canadian Lacrosse Association. “I’d like to thank both groups for their extraordinary work over these past few months. We negotiated in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to make the necessary commitments to our national team players, while ensuring our organization can continue to deliver on the other elements of our mandate and support our over 60,000 members.” 

 

The CLA and the NLTPA were able to resolve their differences thanks to a shared vision for the growth and promotion of lacrosse in Canada. This agreement will not only allow Canada’s best athletes to participate in the 2018 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championships in Israel, it will provide benefits for all Canadian national teams and the athletes at all levels of the sport that strive to one day represent Canada on the international stage.   

 

“The players are very thankful to have reached an accord with the CLA that will allow them to represent Canada and defend their World Championship title won in Denver in 2014,” remarked NLTPA representative Gary Gait. “Every athlete dreams of representing their country at the highest levels of competition in their sport and this agreement allows the players the opportunity to do just that.” 

 

The 2018 FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championships, hosted in Netanya, Israel, will feature 46 countries and will be broadcast on Sport 5 in Israel, ESPN in the United States, and streamed to a world-wide audience. The U.S. and Canada are the only two countries to ever win the FIL Men’s World Championship, with the Canadians claiming gold in 1978 in Stockport, England, 2006 in London, Ontario, and 2014 in Denver, Colorado. 

 

“It was extremely important to FIL to have Canada represented at the FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Championships to protect the integrity of the competition, to promote the event, and for the larger promotion of lacrosse around the world,” said Sue Redfern, President, Federation of International Lacrosse. “These World Championships will be the most watched event in the history of the sport and we are pleased that all of our best athletes and teams will be present.” 

 

The inaugural Men’s World Championships was a four-team invitational tournament in 1967. Since 1974, the FIL Men’s World Championships has been conducted every four years. The 2014 FIL Men’s World Championships featured 38 countries.  

 

 

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About the Federation of International Lacrosse 

The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) is the international governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse. The FIL currently has 60-member nations and holds five World Championships: Men’s Lacrosse World Championship; Under-19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship; Men’s World Indoor Lacrosse Championship; Women’s Lacrosse World Cup; and Under-19 Women’s Lacrosse World Championship. Each event is held on a quadrennial basis. The FIL is responsible for the governance and integrity of all forms of lacrosse and provides responsive and effective leadership to support the sports’ development throughout the world. 

 

Founded in 1867, the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 10 Member Associations representing nearly 85,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. The CLA's mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. The CLA oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). The CLA is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners - New Balance Athletics, Warrior Sports, NormaTec Recovery Systems, Canadian Red Cross, Westjet, and Baron Rings - as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation. For more information on Canadian Lacrosse Association and the sport of lacrosse, visit our website at www.lacrosse.ca and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

 

About the National Lacrosse Team Players' Association 
Founded in 2017, the National Lacrosse Teams Players’ Association is an association comprised of players from five national teams who have represented Canada at world lacrosse championships and provides a voice and formal representation for all lacrosse athletes in Canada.  Its aims are growing the game, providing leadership, and ensuring players’ welfare.