REME Boxing

Scribe: Cpl Jones (Head Coach), Boxing Officer: Maj Bromidge , Secretary: WO1 (RSM) Robinson

LCpl Glover (in blue) coming out fast in his final round

LCpl Lawson & LCpl Adduri in our all REME final

LCpl Hutchins (in red) landing a lovely jab

Following the Corps Championships which took place recently in May, REME Boxing continued the momentum and entered a team into the Army Individual Boxing Championships. For many of the Boxers this was their first time representing the Corps Boxing Team. The championships took place at the Army Combat Centre in Aldershot where 96 Boxers from across the Army arrived to represent their Unit/Arm. REME Boxing entered a team of 8 Males and 3 Females.

The draw took place on the Monday with only one REME Boxer competing, with Cpl O’Brien of ATC Pirbright getting the first win for the team by putting on a dominant display of boxing.

We then progressed onto the quarter finals where we had three Boxers competing. First up was LCpl Wilson,7 Bn REME, facing 2 Rifles. LCpl Wilson boxed well sticking to instructions and using his boxing abilities to come away with the win. Next up was Cpl Rose, 5 MED LAD, in his Light Heavyweight contest against 29 RLC. A stalwart of REME Boxing and with only a weeks’ notice, Cpl Rose stepped in and put up a valiant effort against a much taller opponent. Unfortunately, he came up short and bowed out in the Quarter Finals. The final Boxers for the day was LCpl Glover, 7 Bn REME, who came up against 1 Royal Anglian. The bout was all out action straight from the first bell with LCpl Glover having to work hard to keep his very tough opponent at bay. In the last round LCpl Glover started to land the cleaner shots giving his opponent two standing counts before the referee stopped the contest in the 3rd round.

REME Boxing now had 6 Boxers competing in the semi-finals. First up was Cfn Brookes, 4 Regt RLC, who was fresh from recently winning the RLC championships. She put on a dominant display winning comfortably with a unanimous decision. Following his fantastic performance in the Quarter Finals, LCpl Wilson came up against a very strong opponent, although he boxed well showing great movement, he narrowly missed out on the decision losing on a 3:2 split. LCpl Glover was next up where he showed great Boxing IQ against a very game opponent. He boxed his way to a well-earned unanimous points victory securing a place in the finals. Cfn Adduri, 27 Regt RLC, had his first outing in the semi-finals facing an opponent from the same regiment. It was yet another good display of boxing taking the win on a unanimous points victory. Cfn Keenan, 4 Regt RLC, came up against his Fusilier opponent in the super heavyweight division. Although he boxed well, the first round keeping his Fusilier opponent at bay, the power of his opponent took its toll in the 2nd round with Cfn Keenan being stopped by the referee. Cpl Kay, 13 Regt RLC, was our only Dev B Boxer. He came up against 3 PARA in what was a very tactical contest with 3 Para getting the win. Last up for the day was Cpl O’Brien where he came up against 1 Royal Anglian. It was a great battle between both Boxers. Unfortunately, Cpl O’Brien came up short and was beat on a points decision.

Finals day was quickly upon us. REME Boxing had six out of the eleven Boxers entered competing for the Army Individual Title. Leading the way was Cfn Brookes putting on a masterclass performance stopping her opponent in the 1st round. Our next female was LCpl Hutchins, 7 Bn REME, who was fortunate to get a straight final against 2 Scots. It was very much an even contest throughout with LCpl Hutchins boxing well and sticking to instructions. With not much to split them, LCpl Hutchins narrowly missed out on the decision losing on a 3:2 split. Cpl Leo, 1 RHA, had a straight final against a tricky opponent from 30 Sigs. She fought well and delivered a credible performance but unfortunately finished Light Weight Runner Up on a points decision. Our Heavyweight contest was an all REME Boxing affair in the Heavyweight division with Cfn Adduri taking on LCpl Lawson, 6 Regt RLC. Both Boxers performed well in the bout with Adduri’s experience helping him to

get the win and claiming the title on a unanimous points decision. In the evening session we had LCpl Glover going for the Light Heavy Weight title. It was a close affair and after 2 rounds there was nothing to split them meaning the last round would be the decider. After a great last round of boxing, LCpl Glover came out victorious on a split points decision.

Overall, this was a great result for REME Boxing, leaving the competition with three champions and three runners up. I would like to congratulate all the Boxers who competed within the championships. Everyone delivered great performances and have shown we have a lot of talent within Corps Boxing. I would like to thank the coaching staff who helped throughout the competition providing a wealth of knowledge to the Boxers. Congratulations to LCpl Glover and LCpl Wilson who have been selected to attend trials for the Army Development Squad later this year.

As this goes to press, LCpl Terri Stewart, 1 AAC, represented the UKAF Boxing team at Alexandra Palace winning gold in her first Haringey Box Cup at 63kg. As the UKAF Team Captain this was a remarkable achievement. Cfn Eddie Drayton also had a fantastic competition only missing out on gold through a points decision.

Looking Forward:

As the season ends and we reflect, it is clear REME Boxing have achieved a great deal. However, we must maintain the momentum and continue to exploit the strong talent that exists. We are in the early planning stages of our next Corps Training Camp 12-23 Sep at 2 Bn REME (Calling Notice to follow) and a Boxing event, REME Select

LCpl Hutchins delivering a quality right hand LCpl Stewart winning gold at the Haringey Box Cup

vs RLC in early October. As a reminder, our strategy is on track, again we must continue to drive this forward. • Reinvigorate participation (train Coaches). • Grow Female opportunities. • Maintain presence in Army Boxing Team structure. • Maximise value of big show events.

REME Boxers and Coaches are to ensure that they register with Army Boxing for the 22/23 season at their earliest convenience. Boxers are requested to register with England Boxing in addition to Service Boxing so that we can have Corps representation at civilian events.

REME Boxing Team