The continued growth of lacrosse in the south is again demonstrated next season with a new club Epsom joining league, Hillcroft fielding a ‘A’ team and the return of the Royal Holloway College team. The league structured has been increased to accommodate with a new East Division Three and a 10-team Premier division.

New to the Premier Division this season are the Cardiff Harlequins. Whilst this means lots of extra travelling along the M4 they should hold their own in the division and be mid-table contenders. The Spencer 1st team will be looking for a top three finish but expect all teams to be closely matched this season.

East Division One could be very interesting. Established teams like Buckhurst Hill and Croydon matched against the 2nd teams from Spencer, Reading and Blues. Then throw in the university based teams of Brighton Panthers and Cambridge, and the re-named Colchester (East Coast). The Spencer 2nd team will be aiming to avoid the relegation battle as soon as possible with some early wins, then see how high up the table they can climb. I can’t see any team running away with the title this season.

The Spencer 3rd team was provisionally in East Div 3 but Welwyn 3’s asked to be moved down to East Div 3, giving Spencer the opportunity to swap with them into East Div 2 – an offer we accepted gladly. The net result is that the 3 senior Spencer teams will play in the Premier, East Div 1 and East Div 2 division next season. This will mean very competitive lacrosse for all three of our teams.

The Spencer 3rd team may find it tough going in East Division Two. Due to the restructure of the league, the 3’s have effectively been promoted. Having only met Maidstone, Northampton and Welwyn 2’s in previous seasons, the objective is to avoid relegation. Anything more will be a bonus. The unknown quantity will be Epsom. They could either be very good and dominate the division, or they could be hit and miss depending on their squad week by week.

Finally East Division Three could be a mixed bag and away games could be key with teams located from King Lynn (RAF Marham) down to Canterbury. The team that can field the most consistent squad week by week will probably be in the running for top honours come the end of the season.

Those wondering why UEA are not listed in East Div 3, they have withdrawn from the league this season. The six remaining teams will play each other three times during the season.