Lacrosse on Parliament Hill
2009-11-24
Prime Minister Stephen Harper displays a team jersey he was presented with by the 2010 Canadian Men's Field Lacrosse team in office below Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Monday November 23, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
The Canadian men's field lacrosse team has added Prime Minister Stephen Harper to its roster of supporters.November 23, 2009 - 16:35
THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - The Canadian men's field lacrosse team has added Prime Minister Stephen Harper to its roster of supporters.
The Prime Minister met in his office with Dean French, the team's executive director, on Monday afternoon and was presented with a national team sweater bearing the number 10, which represents the team's 2010 target of winning a second straight world title.
"It is an honour to be presented with a jersey from the men's team of Canada's national summer sport, lacrosse," Harper said. "I know all Canadians will look forward to cheering on Canada as the players compete for the world championship in July and once more bring the gold back to Canada."
The world tournament is held every four years. Canada's 15-10 win over the United States in the 2006 final in London, Ont., ended a 28-year American winning streak. Manchester, England, is the host city in 2010.
"We'll need all the support we can get to beat the Americans again," said French. "We know that the Prime Minister is a devoted fan of Canada's winter sport, hockey, and we hope he'll be cheering us on when we take Canada's national summer sport onto the world stage again in Manchester."
Joining French to talk lacrosse with the Prime Minister were defenceman Brodie Merrill of Orangeville, Ont., faceoff specialist Geoff Snider of Calgary and high-scoring forward Merrick Thomson of Hamilton. Merrill and Snider helped Canada win the world title in 2006, all three were key players for the Toronto Nationals when they won the Major Lacrosse League pro field crown last summer and they'll have prominent roles in the 2010 lineup.
"Winning the world championship in 2006 was a special experience," says Merill. "It is rare in life to have the opportunity to represent your country. "It was a proud moment not only as a lacrosse player but, more importantly, as a Canadian lacrosse player. The landscape of Canadian lacrosse is very unique and I'm thankful to be a product of the Canadian system."
