Armed Forces sport: The most memorable moments that shaped the year
From long-awaited triumphs to rising stars making their mark in the military sporting world, there was certainly no shortage of great sporting stories in 2023.
A monumental year of sporting success has once again highlighted the important role that sport plays and the success that it brings to athletes across all sports who serve in our Armed Forces.
So as 2023 comes to an end, BFBS Sport takes a closer look at some of the stories that defined the year in military sport.
Royal Navy deny Army ninth consecutive win at Twickenham
On 1 May, a record crowd of 56,000 spectators witnessed the Royal Navy take on an Army team that were used to winning at Twickenham, hoping to be crowned Inter Services champions once again.
However, with Navy tries from Marine Setareki Raumakita, Air Engineering Technician Dan Rutter and the team captain, Captain Jarrard Hayler, and five converted penalties from Air Engineering Technician Jordan Gott, the Navy beat the Army by a comfortable 22-39 margin.
The Army's sole try scorer, Sapper Cameron McDonald, scored a hat-trick of tries, but the Army's efforts weren't enough to hold off the Navy.
The Royal Navy would lift the Babcock Trophy for the first time since 2010.
Taylor Lawrence's historic run with Great Britain's four-man bobsleigh team
Royal Marine Commando Taylor Lawrence slid into the history books in 2023 after a historic season with Team GB's four-man bobsleigh team.
A brakeman in the team led by pilot Brad Hall, Marine Lawrence played an instrumental role at the start of the season where the team won World Cup golds in Lake Placid, USA, and in Altenberg, Germany, where they beat hometown hero Francesco Friedrich, the reigning World and Olympic champion.
The team would press on to win European Championship gold a week later, and with eyes firmly on winning gold at the World Championships, the team fell just short and had to settle for the silver medal behind Friedrich.
A historic result, nonetheless, as their world championship silver was Britain's first world medal in the event since 1939 ending an 84-year drought.
The team have set their long-term goals on winning gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Army narrowly defend Inter Services title in RAF nail-biter
In the final game of the Inter Services Netball Championships, a normally dominant Army team found themselves having to fend off a light blue onslaught by the Royal Air Force with another Inter Services Netball title on the line.
It got so close that at the end of the third quarter both teams found themselves tied level at 30-30.
The Army, who had not lost an Inter Services Championship since the Navy won the title in 2016, were on the brink of defeat against a much-improved RAF team.
But after some substitutions the Army mounted a storming comeback and Fiji international Sergeant Dee Bolakoro proved to be the right player to shoot from the goal circle.
The Army would go on to win 36-44 to take yet another Inter Services title, but the RAF proved they are a force to be reckoned with in the future and now look to continue their upward trajectory into 2024.
Queen's Gurkha Engineers win Nepal Cup
In the summer, Lance Corporal Chet Gurung was the hero for the Queen's Gurkha Engineers as he was on target twice for his side in the final of the Nepal Cup in Aldershot.
The Maidstone-based side took on the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, who were chasing their second-ever Nepal Cup title, which they had not won since 2007.
With the match going to extra time and with the contest seemingly heading to penalties, LCpl Gurung headed home the winning goal in the last minute of the extra 30 minutes to help the Engineers beat the Logistic Regiment 2-1.
Wild celebrations were in full swing at the final whistle with teammates and colleagues carrying their goal-scoring hero aloft in jubilant scenes.
Royal Navy golf bag double victory at delayed Inter Services
The Royal Navy recorded a historic double victory at the Inter Services Golf Championships, with both men's and women's teams taking home the spoils.
The Navy women last won the title in 2009 and they needed just two-and-a-half points from their singles match to be champions.
And as the Army put up a strong fight, the Navy women stood firm and took the title with a resounding 4-0.
The women's golf team would go on to win Team of the Year at the recent Royal Navy Sports Awards.
In the men's competition, the men last won the title in 2004, but this year they had a more complicated road to victory.
They lost to the Army men the day before, and with the RAF men beating the Army on day one of the tournament, the Navy had to take as many wins as they could to avoid a three-way playoff and claim an unlikely title.
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