Hi! My name is Orla Howlett. I am a rising sophomore on the women's lacrosse team at the University of Rhode Island, studying Green Business. This summer, I had the opportunity to represent Ireland at the World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Tokyo, Japan.
Sixteen teams from around the world qualified for the tournament, and Ireland was placed in Pool A with the United States, Chinese Taipei, and Haudenosaunee. We began the trip with a training camp before traveling together to Tokyo, where we had the honor of scrimmaging the host country, Japan. I had previously played against Japan at the U20 World Championship, so it was meaningful to compete against them again at the senior level for the first time. Japan is an extremely skilled team, and the scrimmage was a great opportunity to prepare for the pool play. We opened the tournament against the United States, losing 18–5. The U.S. team was incredibly talented, and many of the players are athletes I have looked up to since I first started playing lacrosse. We then faced Chinese Taipei, earning a 13–8 win. They put up a strong fight throughout the game, and it was particularly exciting to compete against a team I had never played before. Our final pool-play game was against Haudenosaunee. Playing against Haudenosaunee was a tremendous honor because of the deep history and cultural significance of lacrosse within their community. They are an incredibly talented team, and competing against them was a meaningful experience. We finished pool play with a 1–2 record, placing us in the 9th–12th place bracket. We played Argentina in our first bracket game and lost by one goal, which placed us in the 11th–12th place game. We then faced Wales and won, finishing the tournament in 11th place overall. Playing Wales was especially meaningful because I have competed against them several times on the international stage with Ireland. Their team also traveled to the University of Rhode Island last fall to play against us, which made the matchup in Tokyo even more enjoyable.
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While competition was the primary reason we traveled to Tokyo, the World Championship was about much more than what happened on the field. International tournaments provide a unique opportunity to meet people from around the world who share the same passion for lacrosse. The tournament began with an opening ceremony that welcomed all of the participating countries and concluded with a closing ceremony. One of my favorite traditions at international tournaments is meeting the other players and trading pins with players from other countries. It creates an opportunity to connect with other athletes, learn about their teams and cultures, and build friendships with people I otherwise may never have met. We were also fortunate to have time away from lacrosse to experience Tokyo. We visited Shibuya, Ginza, the fish market, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, the Imperial Palace, Minato, Meiji Jingu, and Senso-ji. Tokyo was absolutely incredible and easily one of the most memorable places I have ever traveled. Experiencing the city and Japanese culture alongside my teammates made an already special trip even more meaningful. The food, atmosphere, architecture, and cleanliness of the city were all remarkable, and I would highly recommend visiting Tokyo to anyone who has the opportunity.
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I have been representing Ireland in lacrosse since the summer before my junior year of high school. I first became interested in trying out during my sophomore year after attending a Division I lacrosse clinic where Ireland's head coach Eileen Ferry was present. She recognized my name because one of the players she had previously coached for Ireland was also named Orla. We continued to stay in touch, and she encouraged me to pursue a trial later that year, ultimately leading to my involvement with the Irish national program. Representing Ireland has always held a special meaning for me because of my family's connection to the country. My dad grew up in Ireland, attended the University of Limerick, and later moved to the United States. I have spent every summer in Ireland since I was born, and it has always felt like a second home. My dad's whole family still lives in Limerick, including my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My family also has a summer home in Kilkee, County Clare, where we spend much of our time when we visit Ireland. My second cousins travel from Galway to stay with us as well, and some of my favorite memories are spending time together swimming, going to the beach, jumping off the pier, and swimming in the pollockholes. Athletics have also been an important part of my family's connection to Ireland. My two oldest cousins attend the University of Galway and row for Ireland. My granny and aunt both represented Ireland in field hockey, and my dad played rugby for Munster. Because of this history, representing Ireland carries an even deeper significance for me. It is an honor to continue a family tradition of representing Ireland on the international sporting stage and to feel connected to the generations of my family who have come before me.
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The Tokyo World Championship was my fifth international tournament with Ireland. I previously competed at the U20 European Championship in Prague, the U20 World Championship in Hong Kong, the Senior Sixes European Championship in Portugal, where we won gold, and the Senior Sixes World Games in Chengdu. Each of these experiences has given me a greater appreciation for the sport and for the opportunities that come with playing internationally. Ultimately, playing for Ireland has become about much more than lacrosse. Traveling to different countries, competing against athletes from different backgrounds, and experiencing new cultures has broadened my perspective both as an athlete and as a person. I am incredibly grateful for every opportunity I have to represent Ireland and to spend time with the teammates, coaches, staff, and people I meet along the way. International competition has taught me that some of the most valuable parts of sport happen beyond the field. I have learned so much through traveling, building relationships, and experiencing different communities and cultures, and none of these opportunities would be possible without the incredible support of the Ireland Lacrosse staff, who continually go above and beyond to support our team.
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Hi Rhody fans! My name is Libby Staples and I am a fifth-year transfer joining URI's women's lacrosse team this upcoming year. This summer I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Tokyo, Japan and compete in the Senior World Championship Games for Women's Lacrosse.
The games started with an opening ceremony. Each country had the opportunity to showcase its culture, and it was incredible to see so many different backgrounds represented in one place through the same sport. For Puerto Rico, we wore long white skirts, Puerto Rico tops, and bright flowers in our hair while carrying our flags, allowing us to bring a little piece of the island with us to Tokyo. Looking around at athletes from all over the world proudly representing where they came from made me realize that the tournament was about so much more than lacrosse. We were there to compete, but we were also representing our countries, families, and cultures, which made walking into the opening ceremony alongside my teammates and behind the Puerto Rican flag such a special way to begin the World Championship. Our bracket consisted of England, Argentina and Scotland. Our 15-8 matchup against England was especially meaningful. Being our first game of the tournament England was a tough opponent to face. England has a long history of success in international lacrosse and having the opportunity to compete with a program of that caliber showed how much Puerto Rico lacrosse has grown and how much potential we have moving forward. We continued pool play and won versus Argentina and Scotland giving us the opportunity to move forward for placement. From there we faced the United States. Playing against a team of that caliber is an experience that only makes us better players no matter the outcome. It was a full circle moment playing against those who I have looked up to since I was a young player and are still playing lacrosse at such a high level. After losing to the United States we had the opportunity to play team Australia still fighting for a top 5 spot in placement. The game was a close back and forth game and we ultimately fell 10-9. Still motivated to compete and finish the tournament on a high note, we faced host nation Japan in our final game. Japan is a team I walked away from the tournament with an immense amount of respect for. They have developed a style of play that is uniquely their own, combining incredible stick work with speed, fitness, quickness, and creativity. They are extremely well-conditioned and play with a pace that constantly challenges you to react and adjust. Their players are shifty and disciplined, and the creativity they have with their sticks makes their style of lacrosse both difficult to defend and exciting to watch. We ended up finishing in 8th place after a loss to Japan.
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This tournament specifically really opened my eyes to how lacrosse is spreading around the world. I previously played in the 2024 U20 Championship games in Hong Kong China and the fans mainly consisted of families and friends of the players who had traveled to Hong Kong for the games. In Japan the support and fans were incredible. There were so many people from Japan who had traveled to come see the games proving that lacrosse is appreciated and big in Japan. This is something I never knew growing up playing in the United States. Having the opportunity to compete against them in their home country, surrounded by a crowd that was so passionate about the game, was an experience I will always remember. It gave me an entirely new appreciation for how global lacrosse has become and how differently the game can be played around the world. Japan has truly created its own identity within the sport, and experiencing their lacrosse culture firsthand was one of my favorite parts of competing in Tokyo.
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Although we were in Tokyo primarily to compete, we were also fortunate enough to experience what everyday life was like in Japan. This was my first time visiting the country, and I was immediately struck by how beautiful, clean, and safe the city felt. Everyone we interacted with was incredibly kind and welcoming, and even in a city as large and busy as Tokyo, there was a sense of order and respect everywhere we went. Growing up, I always knew that being Puerto Rican was a part of who I was. My mom and her family grew up in the countryside of Puerto Rico, Yabucoa. I grew up knowing where my family came from, but I don't think I fully understood or appreciated that part of myself when I was younger. Growing up in the United States, away from the island I wasn't always fully immersed in that side of my culture. My Abuela only speaks Spanish, and with the language barrier, there were parts of her life and our culture that I didn't always feel as connected to as I wanted to be.
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Playing for Puerto Rico has given me a way to feel closer to her and to that part of my family. I have traveled to the island to play lacrosse multiple times. Every time I go I love meeting people from the island whether it's my uber driver or someone I come across in Old San Juan. They love to talk about sports. Lacrosse is not a well known sport on the island so playing for Puerto Rico Lacrosse has been a way to bring the sport to the island which has been an incredible experience. Puerto Rico Lacrosse has given me so much, but one of the things I am most grateful for is the group of girls it has brought into my life. There is an immediate sense of understanding and connection within our team that makes it feel like so much more than just lacrosse. Having the opportunity to play with the senior team has been especially meaningful to me. I am constantly surrounded by incredibly talented players who challenge me and make me better every time we play together. Being able to compete alongside girls of this caliber has pushed my game to a level I never imagined when I was younger. It is crazy to think that something I have always carried with me, being Puerto Rican, would eventually open the door to some of the highest-level lacrosse experiences of my life. I couldn't be more grateful for where it has taken me and for my time spent in Tokyo Japan this summer.
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