Ancient origins
Intercrosse descends from lacrosse, the sacred game of the Indigenous peoples of North America — the Haudenosaunee call it tewaarathon. Far more than a sport, it was ceremony, medicine and warrior training. European settlers codified it in 19th-century Canada, where it became the national sport.
Born in Québec
In the 1980s, Québec educators wanted to bring lacrosse back into schools. Traditional lacrosse, with its heavy contact and costly equipment, was ill-suited. So they created a streamlined version: plastic stick, soft ball, no contact, mixed teams. Intercrosse was born.
1985: an international federation founded in Paris
In June 1985, the Fédération Internationale d’Inter-Crosse (FIIC) was created in Paris. Its purpose goes beyond sport: “to contribute, through the promotion of inter-crosse, to the education of a better citizen”. Its headquarters are now in Montréal, and it is recognised by World Lacrosse.
International growth
- 1987 — first Inter-Crosse World Games.
- 1999 — first World Championship, in Auderghem (Belgium).
- 2002 — first women’s world competition, in Szombathely (Hungary).
- 2010 — creation of the European Cup for clubs.
- 2013 — France hosts the World Championship in Lons-le-Saunier.
The Czech Republic dominates the world honours list with around ten men’s titles and eight women’s titles, ahead of Canada-Québec, the cradle of the discipline. Some twenty countries are FIIC members today and around fifty more play intercrosse.
And in France?
Introduced in the 1990s through schools and the UFOLEP federation, French intercrosse is structured around the Association France Intercrosse, which structures the discipline from Frangy (Haute-Savoie), supports the clubs and fields the national teams in international competitions. The pioneer club, AFIC Frangy, founded in 1990, hosted the 2023 European Cup.