Philippine men’s lacrosse team finishes second in Asia-Pacific Championship, secures spot in 2027 World Lacrosse Championship 

The Philippine men’s lacrosse team capped a breakthrough campaign by finishing second in the 2026 Asia-Pacific Men’s Lacrosse Championship in Wellington, New Zealand, a result that secured the country a berth in the 2027 World Lacrosse Championship.

The Filipinos bowed to world No. 4 Australia, 3–13, in the finals on Sunday, settling for the silver medal after a week-long run that underscored the program’s rapid growth on the continental stage.

Ranked No. 30 in the world, the Philippines advanced to the championship match after defeating host nation and world No. 24 New Zealand, 12–7, in the semifinals. The win capped an undefeated march into the knockout round and set up a daunting final against one of the sport’s traditional powers.

Earlier in the tournament, the Filipinos delivered one of the competition’s defining moments by upsetting world No. 4 Japan, 10–9, in double overtime during pool play—a result that ultimately sealed their qualification for the 2027 World Lacrosse Championship in Japan. They went on to dominate China, 20–1, and Hong Kong, 9–4, to top Pool B and advance directly to the semifinals.

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Pilipinas lacrosse is on fire and on the rise!

A proud moment for a proud sporting nation as both the women’s and men’s teams qualify for the World Lacrosse Championships in Japan and earn Asia-Pacific medals.#APMLC26 x #Lacrosse pic.twitter.com/7HscCqCAtI

— World Lacrosse (@WorldLacrosse) January 10, 2026

The squad leaned on a mix of local development and overseas experience, highlighted by goalkeeper Dan Morris, who finished among the tournament’s top performers with a 60 percent save rate. 

Morris previously played NCAA Division I lacrosse for the University of Maryland and was part of the Terrapins’ national championship team in 2017.

While Australia proved too strong in the final, the Philippines’ second-place finish represents one of the country’s most successful international lacrosse campaigns to date and confirms its place among the region’s emerging forces.

The result also comes at a timely moment for the sport, which is set to return to the Olympic program at the 2028 Los Angeles Games in a ‘sixes’ format, adding further momentum to the Philippines’ long-term development on the global stage.

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