BOWDON LOOKING TO RETAIN NATIONAL POP CHAMPS CROWN
DEFENDING champions Bowdon Church of England will be gunning
for glory at this Sunday's National Pop Lacrosse Championships
at the University of Hertfordshire.
The Cheshire school, three-times winners of the prestigious
competition, are hungry to defend the title they won so handsomely
last year.
Bowdon also won the title in 2001 and 1999, but face tough
competition this season from 19 other teams looking to walk
away with silverware.
Former winners Didsbury have aspirations of repeating their
2003 and 1998 success, while Greenmount will be looking for
their second national crown having shared the 1996 title with
Milton Keynes. Greenmount also won the Plate competition in
2000.
This year's competition will be based around four leagues,
with five teams in each, all of whom play each other in a
round-robin format.
A total of 16 teams will progress to the qualifying stages,
before being whittled down to a quarter-final draw, the winners
of which will be looking to be successful in the afternoon's
semi-finals (3pm).
This year's showcase final will be played at 3.25pm with two
schools due to lock horns in search of the 2005 national crown.
All matches will last eight minutes, with group games worth
five points for a victory, three points for a draw and one
for a loss.
David Shuttleworth, Chief Executive of the English Lacrosse
Association, is looking forward to this weekend's action.
He said: "I wish all the teams competing at this year's
championship the very best of luck.
"I'm sure the championship will be a very high standard
like it has been in previous years.
"I know Bowdon would dearly love top retain their title,
but there are 19 more ambitious schools who all have a chance
of winning this year's title."
|