Colorado, October 9 — The Philippines and Korea women’s lacrosse teams secured their places at the 2027 WL Sixes Championships after winning playoff play-in matches on Day 4 of the APLSC Continental Qualifiers Olympic Qualifying tournament. The Philippines defeated Chinese Taipei in overtime, with the final score recorded as fourteen to twelve. Ria Lagdameo was named most valuable player of that match.
This victory came after the Philippines men’s team had already earned qualification for the same championship, marking the first time both national teams from the Philippines qualified for a single edition of the WL Sixes Championships. In the second women’s play-in match, Korea edged New Zealand with a score of eleven to nine.
Sophia Kim was awarded most valuable player honors for her performance in that contest. Other results from the men’s competition on the same day included Hong Kong, China defeating New Zealand eighteen to eleven in a physically intense game, keeping their qualification hopes alive. Chinese Taipei beat Korea thirteen to three, and India defeated Singapore fourteen to nine, with captain Gunish Bedi scoring his first international goal.
Earlier in the women’s competition on Day 4, China beat India twenty-four to three, and Hong Kong, China shut out Singapore twenty-one to zero. Live statistics for the tournament were accessible through official links for both the men’s and women’s divisions.
Streaming of the event was available on WL TV with an event pass priced at thirty US dollars. The qualification outcomes support World Lacrosse’s broader initiative to return lacrosse to the Olympic stage, following the International Olympic Committee’s prior approval of the sport’s inclusion in future Olympic Games.
Background and why it matters
Lacrosse originated among Indigenous peoples of North America, with early forms played by nations such as the Haudenosaunee long before European contact. The modern version of the sport was standardized in the 19th century by Canadian settlers, who established formal rules and began organizing club competitions. Over time, the game spread beyond its roots, gaining traction in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of Asia through colonial networks, educational institutions, and sports diplomacy.
Women’s lacrosse developed separately from the men’s game, with distinct rules emphasizing less physical contact and different stickwork techniques. The first recorded women’s match took place in Scotland in 1890, and the sport gradually expanded through schools and universities in the British Commonwealth and the United States. International governance evolved over the decades, culminating in the formation of World Lacrosse as the global overseeing body responsible for setting standards and organizing world championships.
The core subject here is the participation of national women’s lacrosse teams from the Philippines and Korea in international competition. Both countries have developed their lacrosse programs in recent decades through grassroots efforts, often led by expatriate communities, sports enthusiasts, and partnerships with established lacrosse nations. Their presence in qualifiers reflects broader efforts to globalize the sport beyond its traditional strongholds.
This matters now because the qualification of both Philippine and Korean women’s teams for the 2027 WL Sixes Championships signals growing international reach and competitiveness in lacrosse. It highlights the sport’s expansion into new regions and underscores the ongoing work by World Lacrosse to diversify participation ahead of a potential Olympic return. For readers, this represents a milestone in the globalization of a historically niche sport and points to increasing opportunities for athletes from non-traditional lacrosse nations to compete on the world stage.
