The Iroquois Nationals have officially accepted their invitation to compete in the men’s lacrosse portion of The World Games 2022, a a multi-sport, Olympic-style event that will take place in Birmingham, Ala., from July 7-17, 2022. A joint press release from the International World Games Association (IWGA), The World Games 2022 Birmingham Organizing Committee and World Lacrosse announced the decision on Monday.

The spirit of cooperation from multiple entities was evident throughout the process that initially did not have the Iroquois Nationals included.

“Thank you to the International World Games Association and to The World Games 2022 Organizing Committee for their joint commitment to consider these unique circumstances and for ultimately forging a path to eligibility for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy,” said Beth Lyman, chair of the US Lacrosse Board of Directors.

Lyman also praised the collaboration between World Lacrosse and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to reach this point.

“I want to recognize the pivotal leadership of World Lacrosse in initiating this critical change, and I’d like to thank the Haudenosaunee Confederacy for their passion and their partnership in making this development a reality,” Lyman said. “This is a great moment for lacrosse.”

The eight-team field was initially announced in December 2019 and despite a third-place finish at the most recent World Lacrosse field championship, the Iroquois Nationals were not included due to eligibility regulations. The IWGA follows International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines for eligibility, and the Haudenosaunee Nation is not currently recognized by the IOC.

Public sentiment, including an online petition, led the IWGA, the 2022 host committee and World Lacrosse to further examine the decision. The organizations determined a series of steps, including agreement from the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Lacrosse Association, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and US Lacrosse. All four entities confirmed their support, and Ireland, the eighth-ranked team of the initial invitees, voluntarily surrendered its invitation to pave the path for the Iroquois Nationals to be included.

“Their teams have always competed with distinction and as inspiring stewards of the game that originated with their people,” US Lacrosse CEO Steve Stenersen said. “They represent the spiritual core of lacrosse. We’re always humbled by the opportunity to take the field against such a talented opponent while ever expanding our understanding of, and appreciation for, the inextricable connection between the Haudenosaunee and lacrosse. We look forward to joining them in Birmingham.”

The World Games was first held in 1981 and includes a wide variety of sports ranging from canoe polo to korfball to speed climbing. Lacrosse was included in the program for the first time in 2017 when six women’s teams competed in Wroclaw, Poland, with the U.S. winning the gold medal over Canada.

The 2022 event in Birmingham will mark the first time that men’s lacrosse has been included in the program.

In addition to the Iroquois Nationals men’s team, the Haudenosaunee women’s team will also have the opportunity to qualify for the women’s lacrosse competition at The World Games. The Haudenosaunee finished outside of the top eight at the most recent World Lacrosse championship in 2017 and were not included in the original eight-team field announced last year. However, with The World Games postponed from the original date in 2021 until 2022, the field will now be determined by the 2021 World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship, which will be hosted by US Lacrosse at Towson University next summer.

For lacrosse-only international events, the Iroquois Nationals have competed for the last three decades. The men first participated in senior field championships in 1990 and have earned bronze medals at the last two championships (2014, 2018) conducted by World Lacrosse. The Iroquois men have earned silver at each of the five World Indoor Lacrosse Championships dating back to 2003 and the U19 men have won bronze in 2008, 2012 and 2016 in World Lacrosse U19 field events.

The Haudenosaunee women first competed in the world championship in 2009 and had their best finish in 2013, placing seventh. The Haudenosaunee U19 women’s team first competed in 2007 and have finished in the top 10 in all three of its appearances (2007, 2011 and 2019), highlighted by a sixth-place finish in 2007.