Just weeks after Jamaica’s men’s lacrosse team secured its place at the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship, the country is preparing for another major international challenge, this time with an opportunity to move one step closer to the Olympic Games.
Jamaica’s men’s and women’s national Sixes teams will compete at the Pan-American Lacrosse Association Sixes Championship in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, from September 29th to October 4th, 2026. The tournament marks the first step on Jamaica’s qualification pathway for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where lacrosse will return to the Olympic programme.
But before Jamaica can compete for a place on the Olympic stage, Jamaica Lacrosse needs help getting its athletes to Canada. The organisation is appealing to Jamaicans at home and across the diaspora for financial support to help cover travel, accommodation, meals and transportation for players and coaches.
Jamaica’s Road to LA28
Qualifying for the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship was a major hurdle, but Jamaica now has another challenge to overcome as it pursues a place at the 2028 Olympic Games.
Jamaica is currently ranked No. 8 in the world in men’s field lacrosse, but attention now turns to Sixes, the faster, six-player version of the sport that will be contested at LA28. That means beginning a separate qualification journey.
The first hurdle is Oshawa, where Jamaica’s men’s and women’s teams must finish among the top five in the Pan-American region to advance to the 2027 World Lacrosse Sixes Championships in Colorado Springs. A finish outside the top five would end their LA28 qualification campaign.
The 2027 championship will feature 16 men’s and 16 women’s national teams and serve as the next major stage of Olympic qualification. From there, teams can either qualify directly for LA28 or advance to a final Olympic qualifying tournament in 2028 for another opportunity to secure a place.
Ultimately, only six men’s and six women’s teams will compete at LA28.
The Cost of Representing Jamaica
The opportunity comes with a considerable financial challenge.
According to Jamaica Men’s National Lacrosse Team Head Coach Mark Wilson, players self-fund much of the cost of representing Jamaica at major international competitions. Jamaica Lacrosse is hoping to raise an additional US$3,000 to US$10,000 to assist the men’s and women’s programmes with lodging, food and travel expenses for Oshawa.
For the men in particular, the costs are mounting. The team has three major international competitions within a relatively short period: the recent Pan-American Men’s Lacrosse Championship in Kingston, the Sixes qualifier in Canada and the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in Tokyo.
The men’s immediate fundraising campaign has set a US$3,000 goal to help cover essential expenses for players and volunteer coaches, while the women’s national programme has launched a separate fundraising campaign to support its journey to Oshawa.
For a programme trying to establish Jamaica among the world’s leading lacrosse nations, those costs can determine whether athletes get the opportunity to compete.
Who Will Represent Jamaica
Jamaica’s men’s Sixes team will draw players from the senior men’s field team and the Men’s U20 programme, with the possibility of a new addition from the programme’s goalie pool.
The squad includes high-school, collegiate, post-collegiate and professional athletes, all representing Jamaica. Some are also dual Jamaican-American or Jamaican-Canadian citizens, reflecting the important role the diaspora plays in the national programme.
Jamaica’s women’s national team will also travel to Oshawa to begin its own qualification campaign for LA28.
For both teams, a top-five finish would put Jamaica among the 16 nations advancing to the 2027 World Sixes Championship and keep alive the possibility of representing the country when lacrosse makes its Olympic return.
How You Can Support Jamaica Lacrosse
Jamaica Lacrosse is calling on Jamaicans at home and throughout the diaspora to help its athletes get to Oshawa. Donations will go towards expenses including travel, lodging, meals and team transportation for players and coaches.
As the men’s fundraising campaign puts it: “A modest amount. A massive opportunity.”
Supporters can contribute directly to the men’s national team here:
Donate to the Jamaica Men’s National Lacrosse Team
The women’s national team is also raising funds for its Oshawa campaign through GoFundMe.
More information about the national programme is available from Jamaica Lacrosse.
