Although lacrosse is thousands of years old, 2022 is the first time the Haudenosaunee Nationals – the inventors of the game – will compete in The World Games.

The Haudenosaunee Nationals men’s and women’s teams will be part of The World Games 2022 (TWG 2022) in Birmingham, thanks to international support and a decision by the Irish national team.

“We are proud to be able to showcase our sport on this amazing international stage,” said Leo Nolan, executive director and member of the Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse board of directors.

The Haudenosaunee invented lacrosse, and Nolan explained it’s a game played for “the pleasure of the Creator.”

The Haudenosaunee Nationals rank among the world’s elite programs, with the men ranked No. 3 in field lacrosse and No. 2 in box lacrosse. The men won bronze at the 2018 World Lacrosse Men’s Championships and took silver at the 2019 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship. The women currently sit 12th in the world.

Still, neither team was initially eligible to compete at The World Games 2022 under International Olympic Committee rules. TWG 2022 is organized with the support of the Olympics.

When the Haudenosaunee were later deemed eligible to compete in Birmingham, they faced another seemingly insurmountable obstacle: The eight national lacrosse teams competing at TWG 2022 had already been selected. There was no room.

Then, last summer, Ireland Lacrosse vacated its position as a qualifying team for The World Games 2022, which paved the way for the Haudenosaunee Nationals men’s team to take its place. The women later qualified for The World Games 2022, too.

“It was the right thing to do for lacrosse in general,” Nolan said last fall. “We are certainly very thankful and have a great amount of respect for Ireland.”

The men’s team has been known in the past as the Iroquois Nationals, but Nolan said the group prefers Haudenosaunee Nationals to better represent their history.

Nick Sellers, CEO of TWG 2022, said Ireland’s amazing sacrifice will be recognized in a special way when competitions begin in Birmingham.

“Ireland’s national lacrosse team showcased the best of sportsmanship and the best of humanity,” Sellers said. “Birmingham has long been an epicenter of America’s struggle for equality, and we are enormously proud that The World Games 2022 can remind us that our strength comes from mutual respect and a commitment to inclusion.

“Birmingham, Alabama, was ground zero for America’s civil rights movement, so it is fitting that when The World Games 2022 begins here July 7, the Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse team will be allowed to compete for the first time at an international, multisport event.”

In addition, lacrosse at The World Games 2022 will feature Lacrosse Sixes, a faster-paced and higher-scoring format than the traditional version. Each team will have six players on each side instead of the traditional 10 and play on a smaller field. Sixes is a more accessible form of lacrosse that is easy to understand for those unfamiliar with the sport.

Other national teams scheduled to compete in men’s lacrosse at TWG 2022 represent Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan and the United States.

In women’s lacrosse, other national teams qualified to compete at TWG 2022 are Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Israel, Japan and the United States.

Lacrosse will be played at UAB’s PNC Field.