City to host national lacrosse comp

LACROSSE Australia’s under fifteen junior national tournament is to be hosted at the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility in spring of 2023.

The competition will go for seven days with about 300 young people from across the country heading to Ballarat to play, and two teams set to attend from New Zealand.

Head coach of Ballarat Royals Lacrosse Club Tasi Stanboult expects the nationals to be the biggest junior sporting event the city has ever seen.

“About 3000 people attended the nationals in Western Australia earlier this year, so this could be phenomenal for Ballarat,” he said.

“The talent that is here in this town beggars belief and that’s why I applied for the nationals. Ballarat’s going to fall in love with a game that is international. People will be amazed at the athletic talent of our players.

“Our club captain, for example, has only been playing three or four months, but he will do so well in these nationals, and in my opinion, could be a walk-up start in the next under 18 Australian team.”

Mr Stanboult has been an advocate for Ballarat Associated Schools lacrosse, is a volunteer coach in schools across the city, and launched his group five years ago.

“We started Ballarat Royals with a view of changing the playing season from winter, to spring and summer, because I’ve never believed that our sport, or any, should be competing for same players,” he said.

“We can increase the number of players by not having to compete with kids’ primary sport… and improve their hand-eye coordination and fitness in the summer.

“I believe following that simple model, lacrosse in Ballarat will grow, and will be stronger here than in a lot of the states.”