A YORK student is desperately trying to raise money for his trip to play in the lacrosse world championships.

The championships are taking placein Perth, Western Australia, in July and 22-year-old Richard Gilligan needs £3,500 to pay his way as a member of the Ireland team.

Gilligan, in his final year studying psychology at York University, is still a long way short of his target but has been making strenuous efforts to get the funds.

He raised money recently doing a sponsored cycle ride from York to Lancaster for the annual Roses sports contest between the two universities.

He did it at the second attempt after the chain on his bike broke during his first venture.

More fund-raising events are planned.

Gilligan took up lacrosse when looking for another sport to play at the end of the 2000 hockey season.

He played in a mixed lacrosse match which happened to be umpired by an Irish selector.

When the selector discovered that Gilligan's father is Irish, from County Wexford, the York student was soon selected for the national squad.

Gilligan made his international debut for Ireland at the European Championships in Cardiff.

"Playing in those was a valuable learning experience," he said.

"As a new team, there is very little financial backing for Ireland's lacrosse team. Each player must fund his own trip to Australia."

Novices in international lacrosse, Ireland will play in a group of the sport's developing nations for the first set of matches in the big event from July 5-19.

They are drawn with Tonga, Hong Kong, Korea and New Zealand.

Gilligan flies off to New York on June 20 to join the Irish squad on the first leg of the journey to Perth.

After graduating from York University, Gilligan, whose family home is in Cambridge, plans to live and work in Ireland and help promote lacrosse.

All interested in helping Gilligan can contact him by e-mail at richard_gilligan@hotmail.com

Updated: 11:19 Saturday, May 25, 2002