Leicester Lacrosse - Growing the Game in the Midlands.

Lacrosse in the Midlands is on the rise, and Leicester Lacrosse are right at the heart of it. We sat down with Freddie Ealham, captain of Leicester’s first team for the 2025/26 season, to talk all things lacrosse: from the club’s history to their ambitions for the year ahead.

A Club Built on Growth and Community

Leicester Men's & Women's after playing in the Paris sixes tournament in 25/26.

Leicester Lacrosse has come a long way since its early days, when a group of De Montfort University players formed a side to compete at Blues. The club has since grown to include two men’s teams and a growing women’s squad, welcoming players from Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham and beyond.

“We’re an all-inclusive, happy bunch of lads and girls who love playing lacrosse,” Freddie says. “Our ethos is simple: grow the sport, be competitive, and show people that lacrosse exists at a decent level in the Midlands.”

The club trains every Tuesday evening at Aylestone St James Rugby Club, in Leicester’s north-east, with a strong focus on accessibility. Membership fees are kept deliberately low to remove barriers to entry. “We pride ourselves on being one of the cheaper memberships in the Midlands,” Freddie explains. “Considering how expensive lacrosse can be with travel and kit, that’s something we think is really important.”

Standing Out in the Region

Freddie, with his now retired chrome helmet.

What makes Leicester unique is their wider network of connections. Many of their players also represent NEMLA and SEMLA teams such as Hitchin, Sheffield and Wilmslow, this opens the door to high-level friendlies. “We had a friendly with Wilmslow recently,” Freddie notes. “That would never normally happen in the Midlands, but because of our links, we can expose our lads to better players and experience. And if you play against better players, you get better.”

The club’s community spirit also shines through. From shared socials to volunteers helping set up on game day, Leicester operates as one big family. “If we’re not all one group, the club just won’t work,” says Freddie. “We play with each other every week, so making sure everyone feels included is huge.”

Players to Watch

Looking ahead to the new season, Freddie highlights several standout names:

●        Attack: Paddy, who joins from Spencer and brings experience at a high level.

●        Midfield: Jamie Lyndon, whose consistency has grown massively, particularly after a strong summer tour in Lisbon.

●        Defence: Theo Kuehn, who has been training with NEMLA clubs and is expected to push on even further.

For the future, keep an eye on Harry Scofield, an under-21 talent making big strides. “He’s really coachable, he listens, and he’s come on a long way recently,” Freddie says. “He’s looking good.”

Ambitions On and Off the Field

After finishing runners-up across the board last season, Leicester are determined to go one better this year. “Short term, the goal is to win games. Long term, it’s to win leagues,” Freddie states plainly.

The club is also exploring ways to grow the game locally. Talks are underway with Aylestone St James Rugby Club to see if there is potential to launch a youth section, and they’ve been in discussions with England Lacrosse about running a school outreach programme. “It’s a long process with safeguarding and everything, but it’s definitely in the pipeline,” Freddie confirms. Additionally, Leicester has hosted England Lacrosse South vs North games in the past and has ambitions to hold more events in the future.

The Midlands Lacrosse Scene

Leicester players representing the Midlands Centurion squad vs Loughborough in 2024.

Freddie is optimistic about the sport’s growth in the region: “When I started three and a half years ago, Midland’s lacrosse has grown significantly, it’s rare to see cancelled games or walkovers. The level keeps improving year on year, and more players want to play here. At Leicester, we’re trying to improve every season — if you don’t want to get better, the sport will never grow.”

Coaching has also played a key role in that development. The region now benefits from a growing network of committed coaches — Euan Jarrett leads the De Montfort University men’s programme and Jamie Lyndon heads up the University of Leicester men’s side, while the Leicester City 2's side is made up largely of university players. This cross-university collaboration has strengthened the local university lacrosse scene and has helped keep players in the sport by giving them options to play post university.

Why Join Leicester?

Lax on tour - Leicester's Lisbon tour 2024.

Asked why new players should give Leicester Lacrosse a try, Freddie doesn’t hesitate: "We're a good group of lads and girls. We get along, we have fun, and we all just want to play lacrosse — and maybe hit each other with sticks!”

With affordable membership, a welcoming atmosphere, and ambitions on and off the field, the growth of Leicester Lacrosse is proving that the Midlands is becoming a future true hub for the sport.

Interview transcript

Full transcript:Interview Transcript: Leicester Lacrosse Captain Freddie (2025/26 Season)

Interviewer: Okay, hello and welcome. Today I’m joined by Freddie, Leicester’s first team captain for the 2025/26 lacrosse season. How are you doing?

Freddie: I’m good, thank you. How are you?

Interviewer: Yeah, I’m well, thanks! So here’s how this will go: I’ll ask you a bunch of questions and you can just answer them as you like. Let’s start — can you tell us a little bit about your club?

Freddie: We’re a lacrosse club based in Leicester. We’ve got two men’s teams — a first and a second — and a women’s team which is constantly growing. We’re an inclusive, happy bunch of lads and girls who just love playing lacrosse. That’s pretty much who we are.

Interviewer: Nice. Where are you based and when do you usually train?

Freddie: We train at Stoneygate St James Rugby Club in Leicester, near Syston. Our training is from about 7:30pm to 9pm every Tuesday, sometimes a little longer if the session runs over. But nobody complains — more lacrosse is never a bad thing!

Interviewer: And just for people who don’t know, that’s in the north-east of Leicester, right?

Freddie: Yes, north-east Leicester.

Interviewer: Do you have a club ethos or mission that drives the club?

Freddie: It’s mainly about growing the sport, being competitive, and just getting better. That’s the reason we’ve built two men’s teams and a women’s team — to get more people involved and show that lacrosse exists in the Midlands at a decent level.

Interviewer: What makes your club unique compared to others in the region?

Freddie: We pride ourselves on being accessible. Membership is kept affordable — I think we’re one of the cheapest clubs in the Midlands, maybe even the country. That’s important because lacrosse can get expensive with travel and kit.

We also have strong links with other clubs, so setting up friendlies is easy. For example, we played Wilmslow, which normally wouldn’t happen for a Midlands club, but because some of our lads play there, we made it work. Playing against stronger opposition helps everyone improve.

Interviewer: Love that. How did the club first get started?

Freddie: It started with a group of DMU lads who wanted to compete at Blues in London. They formed a team, and it grew from there with players from the University of Leicester and Lincoln joining in. That’s how it became what it is today.

Interviewer: How are you feeling about the upcoming season?

Freddie: I’m feeling good. Recruitment has gone well this year. We’ve brought in some new lads for the second team and had a few girls join too. Last year we finished second in everything, so hopefully this season we can push on and win.

Interviewer: If you had to pick between winning the Midlands League or the Flags, which would you choose?

Freddie: Midlands League.

Interviewer: Where do most of your players come from, and what kind of lacrosse backgrounds do they have?

Freddie: Most of us started at university in the last four or five years. A few, like Melder, played when they were younger, but generally we’re self-taught. We’ve had Paddy join this year — he used to play for Spencer and has some England junior experience. That’s as close to international level as we get.

Interviewer: What about the universities your players come from?

Freddie: Quite a mix. We’ve got guys from Lincoln, DMU, University of Leicester, Plymouth, and a few from further south. It’s not all just Leicester-based, which is good.

Interviewer: Can you highlight one attacker, one midfielder, and one defender to watch this season?

Freddie:

●        Attack: Paddy, from Spencer. He’s very experienced and will be a big boost to our attack.

●        Midfield: Jamie Lyndon. He’s developed a lot over the summer and performed really well on tour in Lisbon.

●        Defence: Theo. He’s been training with Brooklands and Wilmslow, pushing himself to a higher level.

Interviewer: And what about an up-and-coming under 21 player?

Freddie: Harry Schofield. He’s been with us a couple of years but really stepped up this summer. Something’s just clicked — he’s more consistent, very coachable, and improving fast.

Interviewer: How important is community and social life within your club?

Freddie: Really important. If we’re not one big family, the club doesn’t work. We all get along, have socials, and hang out outside of lacrosse. Nobody feels left out. It makes a huge difference because we’re playing and training together every week.

Interviewer: Do you run youth or development programmes locally?

Freddie: Not at the moment, but we’re working on it. Jamie has been in touch with a few people about starting a youth programme. We’ve also spoken to the rugby club and to England Lacrosse about outreach. It’s a long process with safeguarding, but it’s something we definitely want to build.

Interviewer: Do any of your players coach elsewhere?

Freddie: Yes. We’ve got coaches at DMU and the University of Leicester. I also try to support the Lincoln lads when I can, though distance makes that harder.

Interviewer: What role do volunteers, coaches, or alumni play in your success?

Freddie: A massive role. Everyone helps out where they can — setting up pitches, running training if someone’s busy, helping on game days. Jack is currently running training sessions for me while I’m tied up. It’s very much a team effort.

Interviewer: What are your short- and long-term goals as a club?

Freddie: Short term: win games and keep improving. Long term: win leagues and establish ourselves as a top Midlands club.

Interviewer: How do you see lacrosse developing in the Midlands, and how does Leicester fit in?

Freddie: It’s developed a lot since I started. There are fewer cancelled games, fewer walkovers, and the competition is stronger each year. More players are getting involved, and teams are helping each other out. That’s what the Midlands is about — growing together. We want to play at a competitive level, and by improving ourselves, we help improve the region too.

Interviewer: Finally, for anyone thinking about joining or supporting Leicester Lacrosse — why should they?

Freddie: We’re a good group of lads and girls, and we all get along. It’s fun, it’s competitive when it needs to be, and at the end of the day we just love playing lacrosse. If you’re in the area and fancy giving it a go, come down and say hi.

Interviewer: Brilliant. Thank you, Freddie.

Freddie: Cheers!