The Tab’s Rising Stars: Lottie Van Praag

The Exeter Ladies Lacrosse Club have had a good start to the season, winning four out of seven matches, and I caught up with EULC fresher Lottie Van Praag to chat about lax life, Wales and Georgie Thompson.

Andrew Curtis (AC): So talk me through your career as a lacrosse player?

Lotte Van Praag (LV): Well I started playing lacrosse when I moved to school in England, and I just loved it from the moment I started playing. And then I got picked up as an international when I was 14.

AC: For Wales, right?

LV: No, actually it was for the Netherlands. I’m a quarter Dutch, and so I found myself travelling over to Amsterdam for training.

AC: Was this for their juniors?

LV: No it was for their senior team. I made my debut versus Germany and then I got scouted to play for Wales.

AC: So Wales are better than Netherlands at lacrosse? You wouldn’t think that based on other sports!

LV: Yeah, Wales are much better! Netherlands just gave me a way in to get into the international circuit.

AC: So are you currently involved with the senior Wales side?

LV: Yeh I’ve had three caps for the senior side.

AC: What sort of tournaments do you play in with lacrosse?

LV: Well the main one is the World Championships. Sadly, it’s in England this time but the last one was in Canada which would have been amazing to go to. There is talk of lacrosse being in the Olympics in Rio. Countries in Africa are taking up the sport, and so this could pave the way for lacrosse really to establish itself as an international sport.

AC: So, here’s a big one: who would win out of the boys and girls lacrosse team?

LV: The girls would win definitely! (Controversial!)

AC: Have you enjoyed the social side of Exeter so far?

LV: Yeh I really like it. There are so many sociable, lovely people. I only really have time to get involved in the lacrosse socials, but they’re great fun.

AC: So is Timepiece your favourite club in Exeter then?

LV: Yeh I love how open it is and there aren’t many clubs where you can come outside and chat that I love. I like Mosaic as well, but there’s just so much queuing!

AC: Are you managing to combine sports, social and studies?

LV: I think so – or at least I hope so! I’ve had quite a lot of practice at it because I was training so regularly when at school.

AC: So what course are you doing?

LV: I’m doing Sociology, but it’s actually nothing to do with what I want to be when I’m older.

AC: So what’s that?

LV: Well, I’m hoping to work for Sky Sports. I work for Aston Villa at the moment interviewing their players after matches.

AC: Á la Georgie Thompson?

LV: Well, hopefully. I look up to her a lot because that’s what I would really like to do. I’ve been called the Little Georgie before which was such a massive compliment and confidence booster!

AC: Nice, classic job chat but I can’t imagine there are internships in that type of field?

LV: There is actually. I’m going to go and work for them after University and I’ve had a few interviews about it and so, fingers crossed, I will get to work with them. I probably won’t have an amazing job at first, but once you’re involved you can work your way up.

AC: Now if you were a guy I would ask the question: what do you think of the girls in Exeter? Reversing that, though, what do you think of the guys?

LV: I don’t really know. I can’t say I notice lots of good-looking guys. But the most attractive thing about a guy for me is that they do sport and that they’ve got a good personality.

AC: I’ve no doubt a few boys may be interested in the answer to this next question: are you a taken lady?

LV: I am indeed currently spoken for.

AC: Lastly, if you could change one thing about lacrosse what would it be?

LV: I think I would want to boost it’s publicity. It hardly gets any coverage on television in the UK, whereas in America the boy’s game is really quite big. Americans love it so I think us Britains should get on it.