Premier Lacrosse League, World Crosse to Bring Professional Men's and Women's Lacrosse Games to Japan
March 3, 2023 - Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) News Release
LOS ANGELES - The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster today announced it is partnering with World Crosse to hold exhibition matches between U.S. men's and women's professional lacrosse players, the Japan men's national team and a specially selected team of Japanese women's lacrosse players. Games will be held on March 12 at Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki in Kanagawa, Japan, with clinics and skills challenges to be held on March 11 and 13.
"Hosting world-class lacrosse players to compete in emerging countries like Japan will continue to showcase the growth of lacrosse internationally, and is an essential part of our bid to return to the Olympics," said Paul Rabil, Co-Founder and President of the Premier Lacrosse League. "Coming off of Japan's bronze medal performance at the World Games last summer, we anticipate that our exhibitions will highlight the talent in the men's and women's game globally."
Sixteen professional men's players will represent team PLL, with 15 professional women's players representing team Unleashed. Launched by the PLL in 2020, Unleashed is a media and event platform designed to support the growth and visibility of girls and women in the sport of lacrosse. Team Unleashed will face Cross Crosse All Stars, a specially selected team of Japanese women's lacrosse players, with team PLL facing the Japan men's national team on March 12. The event will also feature cultural exchanges among the teams, and skills competition like fastest shot and an accuracy challenge. Players from all four teams will also host clinics with local youth players on March 11 and 13.
"The opportunity to bring some of the best PLL and women's players from the US to support the growth of the game in Japan and globally is an important moment for our sport," said Sachiyo Yamada, founder of World Crosse. "We're excited to showcase Olympic sixes and world class lacrosse talent to lacrosse fans in Japan and around the globe."
The international exhibition comes as lacrosse continues its bid for Olympic inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Games will be played in both the six-on-six format under consideration by the International Olympic Committee, and 10-on-10 field lacrosse format. The Premier Lacrosse League recently hosted its inaugural Championship Series showcasing the six-on-six format, with games broadcast across ESPN platforms.
Games will be broadcast on Gaora, with live updates available across PLL social media platforms.
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