Lacrosse
Although a minority sport in Australia, lacrosse has a rich and long history dating all the way back to 1876. One of the four founding member nations of the inaugural World Championships, Australia has played a pivotal role in shaping lacrosse into a global phenomenon, establishing close connections within the global lacrosse community.
Annually, Australia welcomes international lacrosse teams and players from the United States, Canada, and Japan. While lacrosse in the United States, Canada, and Japan predominantly revolves around the sport at a college level, the Australian lacrosse landscape is characterized by a club system. Within this framework, players of all ages, from youth to adults, become integral parts of the same club, fostering a family-like connection. This environment not only nurtures players but also cultivates a supportive community, leading to multi-generational connections.
Within Australia, lacrosse thrives primarily in three key cities: Melbourne, Victoria; Adelaide, South Australia; and Perth, Western Australia. Numerous clubs in these cities proudly carry a century-old heritage. In these cities, organised field lacrosse competition are held over the weekends for women and men at a junior or senior level. You can also find smaller lacrosse competitions dotting the landscapes of Sydney, New South Wales; Brisbane, Queensland; and Hobart, Tasmania.
Lacrosse South Australia
Since 1888 South Australian Lacrosse Association (SALA) now Lacrosse SA has governed lacrosse in Adelaide, South Australia managing league competitions and welcoming lacrosse teams and players from all over the world. Bunnik Travel is the official travel agent of Lacrosse SA. For over a decade, we have worked closely with Lacrosse SA to offer bespoke lacrosse training camps for youth, university, and professional teams. This program enables international lacrosse players to develop their skills and strategies learned in training whilst creating a fresh stimulus.
Lacrosse in Adelaide
As Australia is situated in the Southern Hemisphere, lacrosse is considered a ‘winter sport’. League games for women and men at junior or senior levels are generally played over the winter months from April to September, however lacrosse training camps can be planned throughout the year.
Climate
Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm, dry summers. Adelaide’s welcoming climatic conditions and opposite seasonality to the northern hemisphere, make it the ideal destination for international lacrosse teams to plan a training camp.
With Adelaide's climate being pleasant year-round, the timing of the camp can be tailored to meet the needs of the team or individual athletes. Adelaide has the lowest humidity and annual rainfall of any Australian city. Generally, the weather is the most stable over the warmer months from November to March. Between October to the end of March, daylight saving time occurs. During this period, Adelaide enjoys extended daylight hours, ideal for making the most of the outdoors.
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In autumn Adelaide is celebrated for its pleasant weather and Autumn foliage, with nature turning various hues of yellow, orange, and red.
Climate: Minimal rainfall and cool evenings
Temperature: Average temperatures range from 12.7 - 22.7°C (55 - 73°F).
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During winter, the average temperatures drop, and frosts are common in the nearby Mount Lofty Ranges and surrounding valley regions.
Climate: Adelaide is the driest of all the Australian capital cities, with the wettest month June, averaging around 80 mm (3.1 inches) of rainfall.
Temperature: Average temperatures range from 8 - 16°C (46.5 - 60.8°F).
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In spring, Adelaide becomes awash with various colours until early November when the stunning purple Jacaranda trees blossom, becoming a popular tourist attraction.
Climate: Low rainfall, and cool evenings
Temperature: Average temperatures range from 11.8 - 22°C (53.2 - 71.6°F).
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During summer Adelaide enjoys long sunny days, ideal for making the most of the outdoors.
Climate: During these months, the climate is dry, rainfall is sparse and occasionally, temperatures soar to 40°C (104°F).
Temperature: Average temperatures range from 11.8 - 22°C (53.2 - 71.6°F).
Facilities
The training camp will be held at the Glenelg Lacrosse Club. The clubhouse has multi-use facilities, ideal for hosting a training camp, including three lacrosse grounds, a club room, kitchen, changing rooms, showers, and toilets. In between training sessions and matches, the team can use these facilities to rest and hold meetings.
The lacrosse grounds are well-maintained with natural grass suitable for youth to high-performance teams. For international teams seeking a unique experience, the team can also utilise the nearby hockey ground once it has been dampened with water (to create a wet surface). Some overseas countries such as Japan have limited hockey grounds, presenting a valuable learning opportunity for international lacrosse players to further develop their skillset.
Coaching Clinic
The training camp will include a lacrosse clinic conducted by a team of fully qualified and experienced coaches, tailored to suit the needs of the team or individual athletes. Trish Adams from Lacrosse SA will be the head coach of the women's lacrosse clinic. A former lacrosse player and head coach of the Australian Women's National Team, Trish brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program. Throughout her career, she has medaled gold, silver and bronze at numerous world events and played an active role in the Women’s World Championships. A decorated player and coach, Trish has over 20 years of experience coaching international and local lacrosse players.
Practice Match
Lacrosse SA will be responsible for arranging each match against a team of the desired level.
• Senior State Select Team/South Australian All-Star Team
• U21 State Select Team/U21 All-Star Team
• U19 State Select Team/U19 All-Star Team
• U17 State Select Team/U17 All-Star Team
• Club Team
Each match will be officiated by qualified referees/umpires using international rules, however this can be changed upon request.
Learn about our lacrosse packages
We offer lacrosse training camp packages of varying lengths, from a few days to several weeks for youth, university, or professional teams. Each training camp can be tailored to suit the needs of the team or individual athletes.
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• Lacrosse Coaching Clinic
• Practice Match (with a Local Team)
• Team Bonding (with a Local Team)
Lacrosse Coaching Clinic
Before arriving in Australia, our team will arrange a meeting to determine the teams or the individual players requirements. Based on our discussion, the head coach will create a suitable program.
After arrival, our team will review the program again and conduct a skill assessment of the team at the first clinic to ensure the contents of the program are well suited.
After each clinic our team will review the program to ensure the activities included are enhancing the skill development and stimulus of the players. The final part of the program is reserved, for the team to focus on specific areas where they would like to receive more in-depth training or require further development.
Practice Match (with a Local Team)
International teams and players, may find the style of lacrosse in Australia is different from their home country, creating a fresh stimulus. Practice matches are highly beneficial for international players, presenting an opportunity to reinforce the skills and strategies learned in training whilst competing in unfamiliar environment. Our team will ensure each team or individual players’ opponents are matched according to the desired competitive or skill level to suit the team’s needs.
Team Bonding (with a Local Team)
An Australian-style BBQ is the ideal activity for international players to gain an insight into the Australian lifestyle and interact with Australian lacrosse players. Some players may find the style of BBQ in Australia, is different from their home country - you don’t eat while grilling. An invaluable experience, this will be an important memory of the training camp and may lead to life-long friendships!