Senior Service superiority: Royal Navy tops Irish Defence Force 4-1 to claim team boxing title
The Royal Navy boxing team have secured a dominant 4-1 victory over the Irish Defence Force in the decisive final stretch of a night of high-octane action inside the ropes in Portsmouth.
While a packed 10-bout card entertained a crown of more than 100 guests inside the halls of HMS Nelson, all eyes were on the final five scoring bouts that determined the ultimate destination of the team trophy.
The Senior Service produced a clinical performance under the spotlights, taking four of the five contest points.
Early momentum and mid-card battles
Before the final five bouts of the night, the crowd were entertained by fights which included a mix of civilian and Irish Defence Force boxers.
The first all-military fight of the night however did not involve the Royal Navy, but British Army boxer Felicity Johnstone – who took on Rachel Lawless from the Irish Defence Force in the 52kg female category.
Despite a courageous fight to the end, Johnstone would lose out to Lawless by a unanimous decision with both boxers being well received by the crowd.
As the final five bouts got underway, Engineering Technician Marine Engineering Reece Gannon from the Royal Navy set the tone early in the scoring contest, putting on a boxing masterclass against Private Ben Molloy from the Irish Defence Force at 65kg, to earn a clear unanimous decision victory and put the Royal Navy on the board.
The Irish Defence Force responded immediately in the second scoring bout at 70kg. In a tight, hard-fought contest between Air Engineering Technician Kyle McGregor (Royal Navy) and Corporal Jamie Long (Irish Defence Force), Long, who is 15 years McGregor's senior, edged out a split decision to level the team standings at 1-1.
However, the Royal Navy surged ahead in the second half of the card. Marine Connor Fanning (Royal Navy) delivered a dominant performance against Private Thomas King (Irish Defence Force), earning a unanimous decision victory at 75kg to restore the Navy's lead at 2-1.
Hanif and Colebourn seal the team championship
The turning point of the evening arrived in bout four, when Marine Lewie Hanif (Royal Navy) pressed a relentless pace against Sergeant Eoghan Wright (Irish Defence Force) at 80kg.
Hanif forced a retirement victory, clinching the match-winning third point and guaranteeing the team title to the Royal Navy.
Rounding off a stellar evening for the host team, Leading Physical Trainer Sophie Colebourn (Royal Navy) put on a flawless display at 70kg against Private Shauna Kearney (Irish Defence Force) in the final scoring bout, earning a unanimous decision to round out the final team score at 4-1.
The event, now in its third year, once again highlighted the deep athletic talent and sportsmanship across both nations' armed forces, with extensions of goodwill and friendship between the two teams following an electric night in Portsmouth.
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