Armenia’s men’s and women’s national lacrosse teams continue their prepara- tions for the 2026 European Championship, which will take place in Spain from November 2 to 8. The tournament will be especially important, as it will serve as a qualifying stage for the 2027 World Championship. As part of their preparations, both Armenian teams took part in the Heri- tage Cup friendly tournament in New Jersey. For Armenia’s national teams, these matches became an important test ahead of the main event of the season and an opportunity to assess their level of readiness against international opponents. Armenia’s women’s national team performed especially confidently. The team won all three of its matches at the tournament. The Armenian lacrosse players defeated Poland 16:5, then beat Hong Kong 11:5, and in the final match proved stronger than Colombia with a 15:7 victory. Armenia’s men’s national team also played several high-scoring matches. The Armenian side defeated the Netherlands 14:10 and comfortably beat Hun- gary 19:7. The team suffered its only defeat in a tense game against Jamaica, losing by the narrowest of margins — 12:13. The 2026 European Championship will be a crucial stage for Armenian la- crosse. Based on the results of the tournament, the five best teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions will qualify for the 2027 World Championship. The 2027 World Championship will then serve as a qualifying event for the 2028 Olympic Games, where only six Olympic quotas will be available in lacrosse. The successful performance at the Heritage Cup shows that both Armenian national teams are approaching the European tournament with serious ambitions and are gradually gaining international experience ahead of the battle for a place at the World Championship.
