COLORADO SPRINGS — World Lacrosse today announced the schedule for its 2022 Men’s U21 Championship, hosted by Ireland Lacrosse at the University of Limerick from August 10-20. The largest junior-level world championship staged to date by World Lacrosse will feature a record 23 teams and more than 500 athletes competing in 86 games over 11 days. 

The 23 teams in Limerick will be split into five pools — three groups of five and two groups of four. Pool A features the top ranked teams: USA, Canada, Australia, Haudenosaunee and England. 

Originally scheduled for 2020, the tournament kicks off with a blockbuster opening day on Wednesday, August 10, as USA takes on Canada in the first game at noon. After another Pool A matchup between the Haudenosaunee and England at 1 p.m., host Ireland takes on Germany at 7 p.m. 

Ireland Lacrosse CEO Michael Kennedy said: “I am thrilled to welcome 23 teams to Ireland for a record-setting world championship. This tournament will demonstrate the exceptional growth of lacrosse with a talented field of U21 teams and I cannot wait for the global audience to experience everything Limerick and Ireland have to offer.” 

Pool play will continue through Monday, August 15, and will determine seeding for the playoff brackets. The top three teams from Pools B and C and the best fourth-place finisher from those pools will join the five teams from Pool A in a 12-team championship bracket. 

Meanwhile, Pools D and E are aimed at providing developmental and championship-level experience to 10 teams that do not meet the age rules for full participation. After pool play, those teams will compete in the platinum bracket to determine 13th through 23rd place, alongside the three lowest-ranking teams from Pools B and C. 

Bracket play begins on Tuesday, August 16, building up to the semifinals on Thursday, August 18, and the medal games on Saturday, August 20, with the championship match set for 7 p.m. 

During the event, 22 games will be broadcast globally via ESPN digital platforms, with the semifinal and championship match also airing in the U.S. on ESPNU. The men’s U21 championship is the second event in a historic multi-year partnership between World Lacrosse and ESPN that was announced last month. 

The last men’s junior-level championship in 2016 ended with a classic in the gold medal match, as the U.S. overcame a 6-0 deficit to defeat Canada 13-12 in British Columbia. The win continued the Americans’ unblemished gold medal streak in the championship, dating back to 1988. 

The full schedule for the event can be found below. All times are listed in local time, Irish Standard Time / UTC+1:00. 

Tickets and more information are available at WorldLax2022.com. The full schedule for the men’s U21 championship can be found here.