Five players with Moreton Hall connections have been selected to the Wales Women’s squad for the 2026 Lacrosse World Championship, taking place in Tokyo at the end of July.
Current Sixth Form students Alexa Wilson and Lizzie Melia have been named in the 22-player squad, alongside Old Moretonians Phoebe Jones, Coco Harpin and Ellie Jones. Phoebe Jones is also a lacrosse coach at the school. Two further Old Moretonians, Hannah Legge and Annabel Noble, have been named as reserves.
The squad is coached by Carina Bates, Moreton Hall’s Head of Lacrosse and a former Wales international, who became Wales Women’s Head Coach in 2025. The national side has held a number of training weekends at the school, which has a long association with Welsh lacrosse.
Wales qualified for the Championship after finishing fourth at the 2024 European Championship. This is the first World Championship to require qualification, and the first to be held since lacrosse was confirmed for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Selecting two current students, both still under 18, for a senior World Championship squad is highly unusual. Alexa Wilson earned a late call-up following her performances for the Wales U20 team, which won this year’s Home Internationals for the first time. Lizzie Melia was named Most Improved Women’s Player during the senior international series.
A sixth member of the Moreton Hall community, Old Moretonian Milly Home, has been selected to represent England at the same Championship.
Carina says: “We are immensely proud of everyone from the Moreton family selected to represent their country in Tokyo. There is no greater accolade in the sport, and it reflects the commitment these players have shown. Lacrosse is a huge part of life at Moreton Hall, and to see students reaching this level, including two still in school, says a great deal about the programme and the people behind it.”
Photo credit: Jordan Baird @bairdvisuals