World Lacrosse elected two board members at the 2025 General Assembly with Sallie Barker being re-elected and Rick Mercurio joining the board for the first time into two open strategic director positions.
The General Assembly was held virtually with World Lacrosse board of directors and staff, along with delegates from the IF’s 95 National Federations, four Continental Federations and the Athletes’ Commission. In addition to the elections, the voting delegates passed legislation on WL’s Constitution and Bylaws, and a cap on teams participating at specific world championships.
WL President Bob DeMarco said: “While our sport continues to face a crucial period of growth and transformation ahead of the Olympic Games, our members met the moment with an incredibly productive 2025 General Assembly, as we critically focused on areas to improve organizational operations and competition integrity.
“I also want to congratulate Sallie and Rick on their elections to the board and anticipate they will continue having a significant impact on the global lacrosse community. And I want to thank outgoing board member Sabah Cambrelen for her outstanding service as diversity and inclusion director; her contributions helped our organization drive progress across a number of areas.”
Barker – who is based in England – previously held the position of finance & governance director on the WL board for six years. In her position, Barker oversaw the business of the organization, advised the board on governance issues and chaired the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. Barker has held numerous national volunteer roles with England and international roles dating back to 2002.
Mercurio was elected to the board for the first time, and currently is the chair of the WL Development Committee. Based in the United States, Mercurio has played a pivotal role in developing global lacrosse as an ambassador, administrator and clinician, and in more than 14 years of service at WL, has helped the organization grow from 35 to 95 members. Mercurio has an extensive background in lacrosse as a player and coach spanning over four decades.
The General Assembly also included a report by CEO Jim Scherr on the state of the sport and an update on the organization’s 2025-28 strategic plan.
The changes to the WL Constitution and Bylaws were highlighted by the successful motions to streamline the structure of the board, update the rules change process and make all General Assemblies virtual in the future. Members also approved the 2026-27 budget.
Members voted to institute a cap of 20 teams at the WL Men’s U20 and Women’s U20 Championships, as well as a cap of 20 teams at the WL Men’s Box Championship and 10 teams at the WL Women’s Box Championship.
Additionally, members voted to establish baseline requirements for entry into WL championships. Further work will come from WL with support from its Competition Committee on the qualifying requirements for these events in lieu of qualification processes and the overall baseline requirements for all championships.
