English Introducing the teams for the 29th Aleš Hřebeský Memorial
23.1.2024
Two dozen teams are already preparing for their participation in the 29th edition of the Aleš Hřebeský Memorial. This year will be one of the most diverse in terms of countries represented. The top fifteen teams from last year's annual have earned an invitation to this year's tournament and teams for the remaining nine places were selected by the tournament's committee from 27 applicants. So we can look forward to a very attractive tournament.
The teams were divided into performance pools according to last year's results and for new or old teams according to their estimated level. From these pools, the round-robin groups of the tournament will be drawn during March. The tournament playing system will be the same as last year: in the round-robin, teams will play in four upper and four lower basic groups of three and then advance to the playoff rounds. Any of the tournament participants can make it to the top.
Canadian team Nova Scotia Privateers enters the tournament as defending champions. In the highest pool with them will be the other semifinalists from last year – the home team LC Custodes Radotín, the Purple Reign team, which is the new identity of the Glasgow Clydesiders, and the Finnish Turku Titans.
The next four are Canadian teams Alberta Lacrosse and Green Gaels, as well as Tel Aviv Lacrosse and London Knights.
From the third pool we will draw two Czech teams – SK Lacrosse Jižní Město and TJ Malešice – and their rivals Megamen and German Shepherds.
In the Silver 1 pool there will be Moon Bears, Istanbul Sultans, last year's last qualificant Adler Lacrosse and Bats Bratislava who have also received an invitation.
For the first time, the youngest Czech club, Lakros Zbraslav, will take part. They have quickly risen to the top of the domestic league. They will be in the Silver 2 bracket along with the Austin Scorpions, the first representative of the USA South in the history of the tournament. From the Six Nations region will come the Iroquois team Rez Dogs, and returning to the tournament will be the Swiss team Chocolax.
The final foursome includes the Hong Kong team that appeared in the tournament back in 2019, with brand new participants from Taiwan – Magpie – and Latvia, represented by the Riga Griffins. Norway will be represented by Oslo Ragnarok team this time.
Author: Ondřej Mika | Section: 2024 | Print | Send article to friend
