Rise announce drafted men’s players

Reigning champions, Rise, are hoping they can lift themselves up, up and away yet again at The Fly 2022 with the addition of five players to their Men’s squad.

Freddie Atkins, Ben Buchanan, Pete Wilson, Fergus McMahon and Sam Perry join Rise with the aim of building another winning team after being selected in the Men’s team draft.

Head Coach, Sam Ives is looking forward to The Fly 2022 and has certainly sent a strong message to the other teams with the calibre of players he has selected.

It’ll take soul, spirit, and bravery but Rise are determined to keep hold of their crown and retain the title. Let’s take a look at how they line up.

Freddie Atkins:

Ives’ first pick comes in the form of two-way midfielder, Freddie Atkins, who arrives at the competition with vast experience, on the squad for England in the U23/U19 as well as the Senior B team and currently the Senior A team.

Atkins brings physical strength and dominant play to the team but is also respectful to everyone on the field, taking pride in everything he does: great attributes for Rise.

It’s clear that he can’t wait to get started with Rise and challenge himself against the opposition, saying: “It’s exciting performance lacrosse at a high intensity and against the best players.”

Ben Buchanan:

Rise’s second pick is left-handed attacker, Ben Buchanan, who joins the team as another fast and physical player. He has experience representing England in their Senior team as well as playing in the premiership in the South division.

Buchanan is brave and decisive under pressure in game situations and can see the appeal of the event, saying: “I think it’s an exciting new format of the game.”

He is a highly coachable player who is looking forward to building the Rise team and getting out onto the field, trying to improve, adding: “I am keen to learn and see how I can develop as a lacrosse player.

Pete Wilson:

Rise’s third pick is someone who knows what it’s like to face adversity and rise above challenges. Pete Wilson is a right-handed two-way midfield player who boasts athleticism in speed, agility, balance and stability. He has experience playing in the premiership in the South as well as England’s Senior B team and representing the South of England team in both box and field on multiple occasions.

Wilson was meant to play last year but had to miss out due to injury and he cannot wait to get going this year, saying: “I was sadly unable to participate due to severing a tendon in my hand and losing the function of my fingers.

“I have put countless hours in this last year to get back to playing and want to represent like I originally planned.”

Wilson is also looking forward to promoting lacrosse and seeing what heights the sport can hit, adding: “The Fly is an exciting opportunity to take our sport further, whether that is to the Olympics or beyond, and I want to be a part of the journey.”

Fergus McMahon:

Fergus McMahon is a fast moving, athletic defender who is strong in transition as well as during ground balls. The right-hander has experience playing for Scotland’s Senior A at the Senior World Championships (field) so he will fit right in as Rise’s fourth draft pick.

Fergus has an upbeat playing style and loves winning lacrosse matches and, after missing out on last year’s competition, he’s excited to get started this year and seeing what improvements he can make, saying: “I played in the Home Nations Sixes tournament and really enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the format.

“I could see the difference in the players that attended The Fly and I wanted to get involved.

“I definitely have lots of areas to improve on so I think this would be a good chance.”

Harry Perry:

For Ives’ fifth and final pick of the draft he selected defensive player Harry Perry. The Wales Senior player is a strong one-on-one defender with a lot of spirit who’s always looking to create transition and has experience playing in the Premiership in the South.

The right-hander can lead the team, helping to lift the players when they are under pressure and need extra intensity, as well as taking risks when the game needs it.

Perry is looking forward to the challenge of facing the other teams, saying: “I want to play with and against some great players to see what I can learn and test my performance.”