We’re delighted to announce that alumna Helena Prettyman (BHS 2012) has been selected to represent England Lacrosse at the World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship, which takes place in Utica, USA, in September.

The players, who have been selected from the wider England training squad, represent the best of the best in box lacrosse talent in the country and head to the World Championship later this year off the back of a successful first competitive tournament at the ShE-Box event in Prague during April.

We spoke to Helena about her selection process and trials, she said: "The first trials took place in October, and I was successful in gaining a place on the Training Squad. We had monthly training weekends, with tournament play over December and January, and then further selection in February. This was for a place on the roster of 30 players due to travel to Prague for the She-Box Tournament and represent the first ever Team England women’s squad. In Prague, we played the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Finland, Germany, and WGN (a mostly Canadian touring team). We won 4 out of 5 games, losing only to Germany, and will be meeting the Netherlands and Hong Kong again in September at the Worlds.

"Selection for the 23 players going to Utica, NY, for the World Championship came out last month and, as expected, waiting for the email was fraught with tension. When I saw the selection list, I was absolutely thrilled to have been chosen. It truly is an honour to know I will be wearing an England jersey on the world stage in four months’ time, along with 22 other pioneers of the women’s game, not just in England but across the world for other national teams."