The 2026 Women's Lacrosse World Championship will be held in Tokyo!
~Oi Hockey Stadium is the main venue~
2025 January 1
We are pleased to announce that the 16 WORLD LACROSSE Women's World Championship, which will feature top-level athletes from 2026 countries and regions, will be held in Tokyo in July and August 2026. Lacrosse has been added as an additional event to the Los Angeles 7 Olympic Games and is attracting international attention. This will be the first time the World Championship has been held in Tokyo in 8 years, since the 2028th tournament in 1997.
In addition, we are currently making arrangements to host the 2027 WORLD LACROSSE Men's World Championships in Tokyo.
The decision to hold this tournament in Tokyo was made after the Japan Lacrosse Association, a public interest incorporated association, conducted research and hosting activities using the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's 5 International Sport Tournament Research and Support Project.
Overview of the tournament (tentative)
Name of event: 2026 WORLD LACROSSE Women's World Championships
Organizer: WORLD LACROSSE
Organized by: Japan Lacrosse Association
Date: Friday, July 2026th - Sunday, August 7nd, 24
Venue: Oi Wharf Central Seaside Park Hockey Stadium/Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Number of participating countries: 16 countries and regions
Decision to hold the event
(Comment from Yusuke Sasaki, Chairman of the Japan Lacrosse Association)
Japanese lacrosse has a slogan, "Lacrosse Makes Friends." The hope is that the friendships fostered between young generations across borders through lacrosse will last a lifetime, and that if each person becomes a leader in their own country in the future, all conflicts and conflicts around the world can be avoided. This tournament, which will be held at the Oi Wharf Central Seaside Park Hockey Stadium, a legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Games, and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, which has a history of about 80 years, marks the 40th anniversary of the start of Japanese lacrosse. In Tokyo, where lacrosse began in Japan, we are very happy to deepen international friendships that will continue for 50 or 100 years to come with all lacrosse fans across borders and generations under the banner of "Lacrosse Makes Friends."
(Comment from Jim Scherr, CEO of WORLD LACROSSE)
We are thrilled to officially announce Tokyo as the host city for our upcoming women's championships. As a dynamic global city renowned for its world-class facilities, exceptional hospitality and vibrant cultural heritage, Tokyo provides the perfect setting to showcase the pinnacle of international lacrosse.
Japan has long been a stronghold of lacrosse in Asia, with a passionate and growing lacrosse community that has made remarkable contributions to the global development of our sport. We look forward to working with the city of Tokyo and the Japan Lacrosse Association to deliver truly unforgettable events.
(Reference Japanese translation)
"We are thrilled that Tokyo has officially been selected to host the upcoming Women's World Championship. Tokyo is a dynamic, international city known for its world-class facilities, exceptional hospitality and vibrant cultural heritage, making it the perfect backdrop to showcase the very best of international lacrosse.
"Japan is the lacrosse capital of Asia, with a passionate and growing lacrosse community that has made significant contributions to the sport's international development, and we look forward to working with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japan Lacrosse Association to put on a memorable tournament."
(Comment from Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike)
I am delighted that the 2026 WORLD LACROSSE Women's World Championships will be held here in Tokyo.
The event will be held at Oi Hockey Stadium, a legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will be an international tournament with players from 16 countries and regions participating. Lacrosse has also been decided as an additional sport for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. We hope that this tournament will be a catalyst for lacrosse to become even more popular in Tokyo. Let's continue to use the power of sports to invigorate Japan and the world.
Reference
About Lacrosse
It is a team ball game in which players carry a tennis-ball-sized hard rubber ball on a stick with a net at the end, and compete to score points by shooting the ball into a goal about 180cm square. Each team has 10 players, and the game is played on a field roughly the same size as soccer, with four 15-minute quarters.
Its history dates back to the 17th century, when French immigrants discovered it being practiced by Native Americans for ceremonies and training.
Currently, it is enjoyed in about 90 countries and regions, with approximately 110 million participants worldwide. In Japan, it has become a popular sport, especially among university students, with a total of 11 participants in the country.
It has been added as an additional event to the Los Angeles Olympics scheduled to be held in 2028, and it is expected that Japan will win a medal.
About the Women's World Championships
The International Federation of Women's Wrestling (IFWLA) was founded in 1972. The first Women's World Championship was held in Nottingham, England in 1982. Since the third tournament in 1989, it has been held every four years, and the fifth tournament in 3 was held in Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan, where Japan placed seventh. The United States has won every tournament except for 4 and 1997, and Japan's highest ranking was fifth place.
*2026 WORLD LACROSSE Women's World Championship Continental Qualifiers and Participating Teams
Number of participating teams: 16 teams
[Host country] Japan
[Europe] 2024 Women's European Lacrosse Championships:
Seven countries/regions have been confirmed: Ireland, Israel, England, Wales, Scotland, Czech Republic, and Germany.
[Asia-Pacific] 2025 Asia-Pacific Women's Lacrosse Championship:
Four countries/regions selected: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and the Philippines
[North, Central and South America] 2025 Pan-American Women's Lacrosse Championship:
Four countries/regions will be selected at the end of June 2025
[Africa] AAL 2026 Women's Championship Qualifier (Tournament name TBA):
Date to be determined, one country/region to be decided
International Sports Competition Research Support Project
The program aims to provide support to domestic governing sports organizations, which are the main players in hosting international sporting events, by conducting research and other activities necessary to consider hosting international sporting events in Tokyo. By increasing opportunities to host top-level competitions in Tokyo, the program aims to improve competitive ability and expand the base of various sports, further promoting sports and increasing the presence of the city.
For further details, please visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's sports information website, "Sports TOKYO Information (Support for attracting and hosting international sporting events)."
https://www.sports-tokyo-info.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/seisaku/kokusai_toc.html
This project is part of the "Oshi Sports Project."
The "Favourite Sports Project" is an initiative to create opportunities for Tokyo residents to become familiar with a variety of sports in the run up to the IAAF World Athletics Championships and Deaflympics being held in Tokyo in 2025, and to help them discover the fun of sports that suit their individual tastes and characteristics (Favourite Sports) as they come into contact with the appeal of sports.
This project is a project to promote the “Future Tokyo” strategy.
Strategy 16 Sports Field Tokyo Strategy “Sports Field TOKYO”
contact information
〇 Matters related to the tournament
Japan Lacrosse Association
Phone: 03-3666-2862 (Weekdays 12:19-XNUMX:XNUMX)
E-Mail k.imai@jpnlacrosse.org
- Matters related to support projects such as research on international sports competitions
Life Culture and Sports Bureau International Sports Division International Competitions Division
Telephone 03-5000-7419 (direct)