Someone at Bath Lacrosse Club once had an idea: “Let’s have a pre-season tournament in September”. It would be unlikely to attract many teams, being so far from the lacrosse heartlands of Manchester and London, but it was perhaps worth a try. That was some time ago….
The tournament, now a permanent fixture on the Lacrosse calendar is the main source of finance for Bath’s junior development programme, and the organisers would like to thank all that help on the day.
The Bath 8-a-Side Lacrosse Tournament took place on the first Saturday in September on the Recreation Ground in the heart of the city from 1986 until 2016. However circumstances dictated that the tournament moved to Odd Down Sports fields in 2017. The club played at Odd Down for the first 3 years of its existence from 1983 – 1985, however the new refurbished ground, with floodlit 3G is a far cry from the original council pitches.
2017 also saw the addition of a 12 team women’s competition running alongside the Men’s. The space and facilities at Odd Down give the option of expanding both the Men’s and Women’s tournaments if required in the future.
Each year Bath opens entries to club teams in late February/early March (details are emailed to ALL clubs) and is usually fully booked a long time in advance.
At the end of April entries from second teams are accepted
The club does operate a “waiting list” which gives those teams, who failed to get their entry in on time (there’s always somebody!), the possibility of getting in at a later stage. Entries are always taken on a “first paid, first served, no exceptions” basis.
The whole event relies on the good will of volunteers, in the main associated with the club, Bath LC would like to give a big thanks to those that help year in year out…however we always need more volunteers, please contact the club and come and help, there are lots of jobs – Officiating, parking cars, pulling pints, setting up, taking down to name but a few.
POLICY STATEMENT ON TEAM ELIGIBILITY
The Bath Eights is a Lacrosse tournament hosted and organised by Bath Lacrosse Club (BLC) an affiliated Lacrosse club with England Lacrosse.
This lacrosse event is for the primary purpose of enabling lacrosse players of mixed ability to participate in friendly and open competition. It is intended that all teams should have a realistic opportunity, without undue bias, of competing for whatever awards there may be.
The tournament is predominantly but not exclusively a club event, the BLC Committee has deemed the following criteria must be met for a lacrosse team to be recognised as eligible.
A Lacrosse club, University, or School with affiliation or associate affiliation with the relevant National Governing Body.
University Alumna teams where the full university is recognised as a lacrosse playing team through BUCS (British Universities and College Sport).
Priority will be given to first teams in the first instance. Second and third team, and then any other entries will be considered respectively when the organising committee deems club entries are complete.
All individual players must be over 16 years of age for the Men’s competition and over 14 years of age for the Women’s competition on the day of the tournament and hold current registration with England Lacrosse (https://englandlacrosse.sport80.com/register/membership?id_add_on=838).
Entries from teams into this event will be considered in the light of this statement, but any final decision will rest with the event organisers on behalf of Bath Lacrosse Club
Bath Lacrosse Club Executive Committee: 20/4/21