Irish boxing is up for 4 RTE Sport Awards in tonight’s televised show.
Ireland’s history-making Women’s European Championship Team have been shortlisted for the RTE Sport Awards Team of the Year.
The team claimed 3 gold, through Amy Broadhurst, Kellie Harrington and Aoife O’Rourke, two silver via Caitlin Fryers and Christina Desmond, and a bronze through Shannon Sweeney. This was a record European medals haul for Ireland – the team topped the medals table, out of 31 countries, and were named Best Team of the Tournament.
The team included: 48kg: Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s, Mayo, 50kg: Caitlin Fryers, Immaculata BC, Belfast, 52kg: Carly McNaul, Ormeau Road BC, Belfast, 54kg: Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin, 57kg: Michaela Walsh, Emerald BC, Belfast, 60kg: Kellie Harrington, St. Mary’s BC, Dublin, 63kg: Amy Broadhurst, St. Bronagh’s ABC, Newry, 66kg: Kaci Rock, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow, 70kg: Christina Desmond, Dungarvan BC/Garda BC, 75kg: Aoife O’Rourke, Olympic BC, Galway; Coaches Zauri Antia, John Conlan, Dmitrij Dmitruk, Eoin Pluck and physio Rob Tuomey.
They are nominated alongside the Irish Men’s Rugby team, the Kerry Senior Men’s Football team, Kilkenny Senior Camogie team, the Limerick Senior Hurling team, the Meath Senior Women’s Football team, the Men’s Lightweight Double Schull team (Rowing), Ireland Women’s Soccer team, Shamrock Rovers (Soccer) and the Tandem Para-Cycling.
The team is the fourth 2022 Team Ireland nominee – 2022 light middleweight World Champion, Lisa O’Rourke, is nominated in the Young Sportsperson of the Year category, alongside Rhasidat Adeleke, James Culhane, Eve McMahon and Israel Olatunde.
While Head Coach, Zauri Antia, is nominated in a year in which Team Ireland have won 2 senior elite World titles, 2 Strandja golds, 16 multinations medals, 4 European gold, 2 European silver and 2 bronze, and, for the first time, the Women’s Team were named No. 1 in Europe.
This is Zauri’s second time to be nominated for the RTE Sport accolade – he is shortlised alongside Stephen Bradley (Soccer), Brian Dowling (Camogie), Dominic Casey (Rowing), Andy Farrell (Rugby), John Kiely (Hurling), Willie Mullins (Horse Racing), Eamonn Murray (Womens Football), Ronan O’Gara (Rugby), Jack O’Connor (Men’s Football) and Vera Pauw (Soccer)
Zauri is the only nominee representing a solely individual sport, or a combat sport.
And World Champion, European and Commonwealth champion, Amy Broadhurst, has been nominated as RTE Sportsperson of the Year.
Amy is shortlisted alongside Rachel Blackmore (2021 winner, Horse Racing), David Clifford, (Men’s Football), Ronan Grimes (Paracycling), Ciara Mageean (Athletics), Katie McCabe (Soccer), Rhys McClenaghan (Gymnastics), Rory McIlroy (Golf), Katie Taylor (nominated as a Pro Boxer, but Katie is a Team Ireland Olympic champion and multi-World titlist), Josh Van Der Flier (Rugby)
The winners will be announced live on RTÉ One on Saturday night, 17 December, in an awards show presented by Jacqui Hurley, Evanne Ní Chuilinn and Ruby Walsh.