World Lacrosse -WL- continues to strengthen the expansion of the sixes format as a cornerstone of the sport’s international growth and as the foundation for its inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Following a busy summer of global activity, national federations are fine-tuning the discipline through a series of international tournaments.
In September, the United States hosted the Atlas Cup, featuring Canada, the Haudenosaunee, and Puerto Rico, with both men’s and women’s teams in action. The competition offered participating nations an opportunity to refine their technical approach in a fast-paced, high-efficiency format aligned with the demands of the upcoming Olympic program.
Canada brings together strong fields at the Super Sixes
This week, Canada is hosting the Super Sixes, an event featuring ten men’s teams and eight women’s teams, including Canada, Germany, the Haudenosaunee, Ireland, Mexico, and Australia. Full statistics are available on WorldLacrosse.sport, and fans can follow the semifinals and medal games live for free on WL TV.
The North American tournaments further highlight the sixes format as a key pathway for international development and as an intermediate step toward continental qualifiers within the Olympic cycle. World Lacrosse continues to refine the rules and competition structure to ensure a sustainable and competitive model on the road to Los Angeles 2028.
Asia and the Middle East join the sixes expansion
In the coming months, Saudi Arabia will host the Asian Lacrosse Games in November, while Hong Kong will stage its traditional International Sixes tournament in December. Both events are part of World Lacrosse’s strategic plan to expand the discipline and integrate it into key regions of the global Olympic calendar.
The sport’s growing competitiveness was also evident at the recent U20 Men’s World Championship held in Korea, where Canada captured its first-ever gold medal after a dramatic 6–5 win over the United States. Australia earned bronze with a victory over the Haudenosaunee, marking another milestone in the sport’s continued international evolution.
Refining the 2026 calendar on the road to LA28
The sixes format also took center stage at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu (China), where eight women’s national teams competed under the new Olympic framework. In the semifinals, the United States defeated Japan 24–10, before claiming gold with a 16–8 win over Canada in the final.
World Lacrosse has confirmed Sunshine Coast (Australia) as the host for the 2026 Asia-Pacific Sixes Championship, and will soon announce the European and Pan-American venues. These events will be decisive in shaping qualification for the World Championship and completing the integration of lacrosse within the Olympic calendar.
World Lacrosse president Jim Scherr emphasized that “the sixes discipline represents the future of international lacrosse and a historic opportunity to bring our sport to the Olympic stage.”
