Lacrosse

Gillette Stadium will host Premier Lacrosse League All-Star Game in July

"The Kraft family is supporting the growth of lacrosse around the world. You can expect them to roll out the red carpet."

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Gillette Stadium will host the Premier Lacrosse League’s annual all-star game for the first time this summer.

The festivities are scheduled for Saturday, July 16, with the game at 4 p.m. and the skills challenge at 7 p.m. Tickets will go on sale to the general public in mid-March.

“It’s a great opportunity for the PLL to be at Gillette again,” Cannons Lacrosse Club coach Sean Quirk told Boston.com. “As a Boston guy, I’m really excited and thrilled that it’s going to be here right in our backyard.”

Quirk said the nostalgia of a place like Gillette can be overwhelming and that it’s always a treat to walk through the tunnel and reflect on all the history that’s transpired in the stadium. He added that having an all-star atmosphere in Massachusetts will be great for fans, the league, and the sport.

Gillette hosted the PLL’s inaugural weekend in 2019 and last season’s opening games. The stadium has hosted five NCAA men’s lacrosse championships since 2008 and has welcomed some of the largest crowds in the sport’s history over the years.

“We’re excited to return to Foxborough for the 2022 Premier Lacrosse League All-Star Game,” league co-founder and president Paul Rabil said in a release. “An investor in the PLL, the Kraft family is supporting the growth of lacrosse around the world. You can expect them to roll out the red carpet for lacrosse’s superstars in July.”

Atlas Lacrosse Club coach Ben Rubeor, who also coaches at Thayer Academy in Braintree, said he sees Boston lacrosse “booming.” He believes having the game in Foxborough will only help the local product continue to grow, calling it “about as cool a setting as there is for lacrosse.”

He said the PLL All-Star Game is a chance for young fans to watch the best players around display spectacular skills and dream of one day playing on the same stage themselves. While the game is competitive, there’s also a freedom about it that encourages creativity, Rubeor said.

“I think a lot of guys really take some pride in doing the best job that they can, because they know they’re stewards of the game,” Rubeor told Boston.com. “They know if they do a good job, it helps a kid fall in love with the sport. That’s the foundation of growth.”