News Archive
LACROSSE TRAINING AND MATCHES SUSPENDED
With national lockdown #3 in place, EL have confirmed that lacrosse activity must return to Phase 2 and all other training and match activities must be suspended until further notice. This includes the SWWL League competitions planned for this term. The EL infographic with details of what we can do can be seen here.
SWWL League Competitions 2020-21
Whilst Covid-19 restrictions are still making training difficult and the playing of matches beyond county boundaries impossible, it is still hoped to be able to have a more formal League competition this Spring. There will be a Premier Division, Division One and Development Division with the winners of the first two invited, all being well, to attend the National Clubs' Championships for play-offs against the SE Division One and Division Two winners respectively - the latter for the first time!! Details of the League fixtures can be found here. These are all subject to EL Covid-19 Protocols and Tier restrictions in place at the time.
England Lacrosse Covid-19 Protocols - new help page
The introduction of further tiers across the country brings added complexity to who can do what and where as we head back to our Clubs after the Christmas and New Year break. Please remember that all activities must follow the EL Protocols in order for us to continue to benefit from the exemption to tha national rules around social distancing, playing sport etc. EL have put together a fact sheet to help you navigate what you are, and are not, allowed to do in each tier and can be accessed here. Please also refresh your memories of what our responsibilities are here and on other pages on the EL website.
SWWL Autumn Fixtures 2020
Due to Lockdown #2, Round 3 was postponed from 22nd November to 6th December and the new Tier restrictions that were brought into force as we came out of Lockdown meant some teams were unable to play/travel and universities were not allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities. Therefore a reduced Round 3 was played with the following matches:
Bath City v Oxford
Tribe 1 v Cirencester 1
Tribe 2 v Cirencester 2
Southampton v Bournemouth
The full list of matches that actually took place and their results can be found here.
England Lacrosse Return to Play Phase 4 reinstated - webinar summary
For those of you who were unable to attend last night's webinar from EL, the key points are summarised below. The webinar recording is on the EL website, as is all documentation and infographics.
* only 37 sports have been deemed 'safe to play' by DCMS, including lacrosse - we are incredibly privileged to have exemption from the legal requirements of Rule of 6, social distancing etc - but this exemption is ONLY WHILE WE ARE PLAYING
* you must continue to do health checks, temperature checks, keep a register, hygiene breaks, no sharing of equipment, sanitising the ball etc and exercise social distancing at all times when not actively playing (eg during team talks, before and after the game/training) - to not do this is AGAINST THE LAW and while endangering public safety is also undermining the case for safe sport to be allowed to take place
* we can only participate in groups of upto 30 - including officials, coaches etc * you must not travel in/out of Tier 3, nor from one Tier 3 area to another; you must limit all other travel as much as possible
* we must all take responsibility for all the protocols that have been put in place to allow us to play, whether it is our own social interaction or that of our spectators. EL made it clear that should individuals or clubs not be compliant, sanctions will follow.
If we, as a sport, do not follow the protocols, the ultimate sanction from the government is that they will withdraw our exemption from national restrictions and we will not be allowed to play.
BE RESPONSIBLE, BE SENSIBLE, BE COMPLIANT - KEEP SAFE TO KEEP PLAYING
The webinar and all guidelines etc can be found on this link https://www.englandlacrosse.co.uk/coronavirus
SWWL open applications for Senior Regional Coaches
It is hoped a Senior Regional competition will take place in March/April 2021 and so SWWL are looking for a team of coaches in the hope of repeating our successes of 2019! Applications are now open for coaches interested in applying for positions within that coaching team. You can read the full job descriptions here and follow the link to the Application form here. Applications close on Tuesday, 15th December 2020.
If you are hoping to play in the Senior Regional competition 2021 keeping a watch here and on our social media - details will be announced soon!
Return to Phase 4
England Lacrosse have announced that all 3 Tiers will be able to return to Phase 4 protocols when Lockdown #2 ends on 2nd December. All local travel restrictions must be respected. You can read the EL announcement and keep up to date with all the guidance here.
England Lacrosse announce 50% discounts on courses!
EL are offering 50% discounts on many of their coaching and umpiring courses during lockdown #2. Find the discount code you need for the course you want to do here. This is the perfect opportunity to raise the numbers of umpires and coaches in your club and in the SW! Don't forget you can also apply for help with funding for these courses through the SWWL - you can down load the Application form here then email the completed form to seniorleague@southwestlacrosse.co.uk.
EL CEO Mark Coups sends a message following new lockdown vote in Government
A message from Mark Coups, following the government vote today, can be read here. We're back to Phase 2 of the Return to Play roadmap (view again here) - hugely disappointing but we must do our bit to keep our communities safe and healthy. Look after yourselves and your loved ones during Lockdown #2 and we'll do our best to keep you informed and updated of more details as they emerge. In the meantime, all the EL Covid information can be found here.
New EL Advice following introduction of Covid-19 Tiering system
England Lacrosse have published explanations of where we can travel to take part in sport (where allowed) depending on which Tier you are in. Details can be found here.
Two new EL documents re Positive Covid test and Officials
El have released two new documents - the first to guide clubs through scenarios when a player presents symptoms or tests positive for Covid-19. The second is a reminder for officials of their responsibiities whilst running a match. Both links below.
The flowchart of what to do if a player in your club presents symptoms or tests positive can be seen here.
The breakdown of officials' responsibilities can be seen here.
Frequency of Play/Multiple groups of 30
There is some confusion over what we are/aren't 'allowed' to do under Phase 4. I have been looking into this and wanted to share what appears to be the essence.
My understanding of the EL advice is that they suggest we should not participate in more than 2 groups of 30 (ie perhaps 1 training and 1 match) in a given week, and their guidance is that these groups should be 72 hours apart - ie asking people to consider the number of people they are coming into close contact with (bearing in mind that lacrosse phase 4 guidance allows people to break social distancing). The key words here are advice and guidance. It is up to each individual/club to decide how to run within this, whilst maintaining all the protocols in place (registers, temperature checking etc), making their own decisions based on the risks the are willing to take in terms of frequency of sporting and social activity. This isn't something that anyone is going to police, it isn't about 'allowed/not allowed', but it is possible that, should a player test positive, the people in any groups he/she has been in might be asked to self-isolate, whether lacrosse or otherwise. This is an imperfect science I'm afraid and uncharted waters and I'm sorry I can't be more categorical. I will, of course, pass on any additional information as and when I get it.
Victoria Westwood, SWWL Secretary
What should we do if a player tests positive?
The SEMLA committee have developed a flow chart of potential positive/negative test scenarios which helps clarify what we might have to do should a team member tests positive. I believe EL are developing something similar but in the meantime this might help you consider the various courses of action that could be necessary. The 2 day timeline came from SEMLA committee members who work within the healthcare sector - as far as they know there is no government guideline so this element may be subject to change as guidelines evolve. You can view the SEMLA flow chart here.
Should you have a positive test case amongst your players, your first step under EL requirements must be to contact Public Health England (https://bit.ly/36DsBp1) to discuss required action with them and to let us/EL know.
EL 6v6 Playground to Podium webinar - TONIGHT!
Hopefully all of you who might be interested in attending the EL webinar tonight have received an email with the relevant log-in details. If not, please email h.amos@englandlacrosse.co.uk to be linked in
England Lacrosse - 6's Playground to Podium webinar
As part of the initial consultation period of England Lacrosse's 6's Playground to Podium - Olympic Foundations strategy, EL are holding a webinar for key individuals in the SW region. All clubs are invited to attend. The webinar will take place next Thursday, 24th September, 5.00 - 6.00 pm and will provide a brief summary of the 6's strategy which is an integral piece of the 2020-24 business plan. Log in details will be posted here when available or you can email a.merrill@englandlacrosse.co.uk to sign up.
Covid-19 England Lacrosse latest announcement
In light of the latest government restrictions from 13th September, EL say we are fine to carry on within the guidelines of Phase 4. Their statement and all additional information can be found here
SWWL Autumn Inter Clubs and Universities fixtures 2020
As we are currently unable to run the normal League tournaments we have structured a series of 'friendly' matches for the first half of the season. As there are no BUCS fixtures until after Christmas we are delighted a number of SW universities have decided to join us! We have put together home/away matches which will hopefully provide competitive play against some teams you wouldn't normally meet. The schedule for the autumn fixtures can be seen here and on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/southwestwomenslacrosse. All matches must be played under the guidelines and protocols in place on the day of the match and for its location - details can be seen here.
Covid-19 England Lacrosse Phase 4 - further clarifications on the Return to Play
Extra information and guidance released this afternoon from EL can be found here
EL also state that lacrosse can still move to Phase 4, despite the postponement of easing for things that were meant to be able to open tomorrow 1st August. However, we must remember that we have a civic duty of care to everyone, not just the lacrosse community, and that we must also respect local restrictions that are put in place at any time.
Covid-19 England Lacrosse Return to Play Phase 4
Latest EL advice is that we should not participate in more than 2 groups of 30 (ie perhaps 1 training and 1 match) but there should be 72 hours between each group - there are real concerns about cross-contamination as we move from training groups to match groups. There are also issues for junior players moving between school and club or between different sports. We will keep you updated on any new information. In the meantime, there is lots of information on the EL website regarding what we as clubs, coaches and players need to do to meet the guidelines, see the links below. There is also a Clubs checklist Word document to download. More links can be found on our Covid-19 Support for Clubs page.
https://www.englandlacrosse.co.uk/coronavirus
Covid-19 England Lacrosse Return to Lacrosse webinar 7.30 WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY 2020
Don't forget the webinar tonight to talk us through the ins and outs of the Return to lacrosse strategies and protocols that have been agreed from 1st August 2020. To join, click the webinar link on the EL website Coronavirus page
https://www.englandlacrosse.co.uk/coronavirus
Covid-19 Announcement from England Lacrosse - new guidelines allow competitive lacrosse!
It's official - we can play competitive lacrosse next season, albeit under stringent guidelines. EL's announcement on Friday can be read in full on their website and the key elements can be seen here.
Please note these guidelines run from 1st August - any preseason training before that must adhere to current regulations.
Our League Secretary is currently putting together plans for a competititve season in the autumn - any clubs or universities that want to participate need to complete the Intent to Compete form (link below). We understand that university teams might want to play in the autumn before BUCS restarts in January and that's fine. This season is going to look very different from normal in lots of ways but it's just fantastic that we can make some plans to get onto the pitch and get playing!
https://forms.gle/rXpAzp3RmmM7b6wH7
Covid-19 Pathway for the Competitive season 2020-21
Pending new guidelines from EL following the easing of restrictions on competitive team sport on 10th July, our plans for what the new season might look like are underway. Details of our pathway and an Intent to Compete form can be found here
Covid-19 Back to Lacrosse - 10th July update
We are all delighted that the restrictions on playing team sports are being eased. EL are putting together the documentation with the government for how it will look for us and our plans to be ready to play lacrosse in the SW are taking shape. See EL's announcement today below. In the meantime, PLEASE keep to the guidelines that have been in place.
https://www.englandlacrosse.co.uk/news-1/2020/7/9/return-to-lacrosse-update-july-10
Covid-19 - Updates and support for clubs
For up to date information from the South West and England Lacrosse, please go to the Covid-19 section of our website which can be found here.
Covid-19 - Updates to Senior League
Following on from the recent statement issued by England Lacrosse, we can confirm that we have now suspended the South West Senior League. We will be working to ensure we have an appropriate conclusion to the season and we will be in touch with you shortly. For now, we would advise all clubs to cease training and socials, in line with government advice.
Committee approve new stick specifications for all SW competitions from the 1st January
Thank you to all who provided feedback on the new stick specifications and our implementation of them in the new year. The committee have taken on board your feedback and are pleased to announce that the new stick specifications are approved for use in all SW competitions from January 1st.
South West Stash
Follow this link to get your hands on all the latest South West kit - we've added more items and all with a shiny new logo. Order now to get ahead of this years Senior Regionals.
Premiership League Results Table Now Live
The league table for the premiership league can be found by following this link. Keep up to date with how your team are getting on.
Information on Senior League 2019/20
Information has been sent to all teams that have entered one of the Senior League competitions, including rules and regulations and Invitational Cup schedule. Please see Senior League > 2019/20 Season for these details.