The Nissin Foods 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship begins Friday, with 16 of the best teams in the world competing in 44 games from July 24 to August 2.
The 12th edition of the women’s championship is the first edition of the new format for senior World Lacrosse championships, featuring 16 teams that all earned their places in the event through continental qualifiers. Seven teams are from the European Lacrosse Federation, with five from the Pan-American Lacrosse Association and four from the Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union.
The teams were drawn into four groups for pool play, which will take place over five days. Eight teams will advance to the playoffs ahead of the semifinals and medal round.
The championship will take place at two venues in Tokyo, with Oi Stadium hosting eight days of competition and Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium hosting the semifinals and medal round. Oi Stadium hosted Olympic field hockey in 2021, and Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium hosted football at the 1964 Olympics and is known as the spiritual home of Japanese rugby.
The entire event will be streamed internationally on WL TV, with event passes offered for US$44. Matches featuring Japan will also be broadcast locally on BS Asahi and ABEMA. Statistics throughout the championship will be provided by Swiss Timing here.
The WL TV commentary team features Leah Secondo (play-by-play), Courtney Martinez Connor (analyst), Maki Jenner (play-by-play, analyst, on-field reporter) and Tony Watts (play-by-play).
Secondo has experience across numerous sports including lacrosse, field hockey, basketball and softball, and broadcast the 2020 Olympic Games, The World Games 2022, as well as the NCAA field hockey national championship game since 2008.
Martinez Connor represented USA Lacrosse from 2000 to 2006 and was a five-time national champion with the University of Maryland. She has called international lacrosse at The World Games in 2022 and 2025, and has been an analyst for ESPN since 2020.
Jenner broadcasts the National Lacrosse League for TSN in Canada, and also serves as an on-camera reporter for the Halifax Thunderbirds. Jenner was part of the commentary team at the 2024 WL Box Championships and called the first game of the inaugural WL Women’s Box Championship.
Watts is one of the most recognizable voices at the Australian Lacrosse Network and served as one of the lead commentators at the 2025 WL Men’s U20 Championship.
The 2026 edition of the women’s championship is the second to be held in Japan, after the 1997 edition was contested in the Edogawa ward of Tokyo.
All three medalists from the 2022 Women’s Championship return in the United States, Canada and England. The rest of the top 10 finishers are also in the field, led by Australia and the host Japan.
The Philippines and Chinese Taipei are making their first appearance in the event.
