Entries are open to the 2025 National Youth Championships, and are being accepted until January 3rd

Competition Arrangements:

Venue: National Stadium, Dublin

Dates: January 10^th, 11^th, 12^th and 17^th, 18^th 19^th

Entries:  A non–refundable, non-transferrable entry fee of €20 applies, including in the event of a boxer withdrawal.  Online entry, via the Blocworx portal, is open until 5pm sharp, on Friday, January 3^rd. Entries will not be accepted without the payment of entry fees. All fees must be paid by 5pm on January 3rd. Only boxers for whom entries have been completed and entry fees have been received will be allowed box. The draw ill take place 7^th January 2024 at 1pm.

Coaches must be entered via Blocworx. Only registered coaches will be allowed to enter the field of play and the enter the changing rooms. Coach registration will be cross-checked against Garda Vetting/Access NI checks. Any registered coaches who do not have current Garda Vetting/Access NI checks will not be permitted to sit at corner and/or to enter the changing rooms.

No late entries will be accepted

Weigh-in & Medical:     

Boxers will weigh in each day they box. Individual weigh-in times may be given to participants, but this will be decided and made known prior to the event.  

A medical examination will be performed on each boxer on their first day of competition.

Boxing Record books to be presented by the boxer at their initial weigh-in.  

Weigh-in dates:

Friday January 10^th & Friday 17^th : 8.00am – 9.00am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm; Saturday January 11^th & Saturday 18^th : 8.00am – 9.00am and Sunday January 12^th & Sunday 19th: 8.00am – 9.00am & 12.00pm – 1.00pm.

These times and dates will be dependent on entry and could change.

Boxing: Times will be contingent on entries and shall be announced after the draw. 

Duration:  Duration of rounds: Men & Women 3×3 minutes

Weights:               

Men: 44kg, 46kg, 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, 92+kg

Women: 44kg, 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg, 81+kg 

Age Requirements:       Boxers born between 2007 and 2008, inclusive.

It is a condition of entry that all competitors and officials have a signed Waiver/Members Acknowledgement Form and adhere to any agreement made with the Association sponsors. For underage competitions, this Waiver/Members Acknowledgement form must be co-signed by the boxer’s parent/guardian. It is a condition of entry that the Code of Conduct for Young People with respect to this competition is signed by the boxer, and their parent/guardian. The fully completed Waiver/Members Acknowledgement and the Code of Conduct for Young People must be presented at the boxer’s first weigh-in.

As the U18 National Championships form a basis for team selection for international competition, please be aware that all boxers entering this competition must:

(1) be members of an IABA affiliated club,

(2) must be explicitly named in their club’s Blocworx portal,

(3) be eligible to represent IABA under IBA eligibility regulations {4.2}, holding an applicable in-date passport,

(4) boxers must have completed the applicable waiver/code of conduct process.

• No international competition kits to be worn by any boxers; boxers may wear club kit, only.
• A club shall not include in its list of members the name of any person who is a member of any other club.
• Accordingly, any club making an entry to the U18 Championships affirms that the entrant is not a member of any other club, in any jurisdiction

Anti-Doping:

This may be carried out at any stage of the championships and all boxers must advise the doctor of any medication they are taking or have taken in the preceding 4 weeks. It is imperative that all boxers adhere to the Anti-Doping Rules and Regulations. For any queries regarding this matter, boxers/coaches should contact IABA Anti-Doping Officer Sean Crowley, via sean.crowley@iaba.ie

 Non-Pregnancy Declaration forms must be signed. 

Attire:                               

Boxers shall have one red and one blue vest. In accordance with the IBA Technical and Competition Rule 48.7, boxers may wear form-fitting arm and/or leg coverings.

Hair must be tied back and swimming hats or hairnets should be worn under the headgear for boxers with long hair. No red, orange or pink gum shields are allowed.

A Boxer can have a beard and moustache, but either must not cover the neck and must not be longer that 10cms, in accordance with the IBA Technical and Competition Rule 4.2.5.2.2

Coaches:  They must wear track suits and runners at all sessions and endeavour to set a high standard of hygiene in the corners. No shorts, caps or hats are allowed. Coaches must be registered to enter the field of play via Blocworx.

Sportsmanship:  All decisions must be accepted in a sporting manner. Any complaints must be addressed to the Chief Official, Mr. Stephen Connolly. Please show respect to all Ringside Officials. A document stipulating requirement in relation to conduct, and the use of social media must be signed by all boxers and coaches at their initial weigh-in. Any misbehaviour or misuse of social media in a negative manner from members of any club relating to a boxer/coach/official will be referred to the IABA Discipline Officer under the IABA Complaints and Discipline Code, communicated to all clubs on May 17^th 2024.

Please note: 

The U18s Championship will be run under IBA Technical & Competition rules, as adopted on September 1st, 2022.

Referees & Judges for the U18s Championships will not be allowed enter the field of play as a coach with their club boxer. 

All Referee & Judges must bring their record books.  

Kind Regards,  

Tara Robins Mari, National Secretary IABA.

Booking is now open, through your club’s Blocworx portal, for the first coaching course of 2025. This Fundamentals: Assistant Coach course is kindly hosted by Portlaoise Boxing Club, on January 4^th.

This is a full day, in person introduction to coaching which includes:

• The role of the Coach – Learning on coaching children and Positive Behaviour Management
• Physical ABCs – agility, balance and co-ordination
• Technical and Tactical skills – Developing Technical and Tactical skills, the warm-up, stance, guard, footwork, Evasive & Defensive techniques and cool-down
• Corner care
• Boxing as a tool to foster positive mental, personal & social development
• Disability Inclusion in Boxing
• Health & Safety 

In addition to in-club coaching, Fundamentals qualified coaches may sit at first corner at club, county and provincial bouts and may sit at second corner at National Championships.

IABA has produced and published a series of films in 2024, sharing the stories of Irish boxing, called Seconds Out.  This has included profiles of Connacht’s Gus Farrell, Munster’s Anna Moore, Ulster’s Eugene Duffy, a peak inside High Performance, a profile on the work of R&Js at National Championships, a Day in the Life snapshot of High Performance athlete, Niamh Fay and profiles of the Paris 2024 team. You can watch all of the pieces HERE

Now, IABA wishes to profile and platform a successfully affiliated club within the Association. Given the sheer number of incredible clubs, clubs and their members will, themselves, vote for the club to be profiled.

How does it work?

Phase One – December 23rd to January 3rd

• Please share this link https://shout.com/s/99XiKfUf with your club members, and on your social media platforms so that members can vote for your club to be featured.
• This link will also be shared on IABA’s website, X/Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, so that members of the public can vote
• You can vote as many times as you want

Phase Two – January 4^th to January 12th

• When Phase One closes on January 3^rd, the shortlist of the 5 clubs with the highest number of votes will be released to all clubs and on all IABA platforms – this is Phase Two.
• A new link will be shared with all clubs, and across IABA social media, so that voting for any of the top 5 shortlisted clubs can take place
• Voting for the winning club will take place January 4^th to 5pm on January 12^th.
• The winning club will be notified, and announced on all IABA platforms on January 13^th.

When will filming take place?

• Filming dates will be January 22^nd and/or 23^rd. These dates cannot be altered.
• The crew will come to the winning club to film interviews with club leaders and boxers, and to film training.
• The winning club must ensure that consents are in place among members for filming and for publication.

***If your club does not wish to be filmed and/or to have members interviewed, your club should not take part.

When will the film be released?

• Editing and post production usually takes around 4 weeks, so, at the end of February.
• IABA will publish this final film on YouTube, the IABA website, and IABA’s X/Twitter, Facebook and Instagram platforms.
• IABA will also issue a press-release to the media to accompany publication, to further promote boxing and the winning club.

The Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing films are supported by Sport Ireland, and are produced by Lowki Culture

Two IABA athletes have been nominated for HerSport awards for their extraordinary achievements in 2024.

Kellie Harrington, fresh from being crowned Irish Times Sportswoman of the Year, has been shortlisted as a HerSport athlete of the year, for making history in Paris. On August 6th, Kellie became the first ever Irish boxer to successfully defend her Tokyo Olympic title, taking home her second Olympic gold in her 4-1 defeat of China’s Wenlu Yang at the iconic Roland Garros Stadium. Kellie is nominated alongside Katie Taylore (Boxing), Ciara Mageean (Athletics), Clare Cryan (Swimming), Fionnuala McCormack (Athletics), Laura Hayes (Football), Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (Football), Margaret Cremen (Cycling), Mona McSharry (Swimming) and Orla Comerford (Athletics)

Kyla Doyle has had an incredible year. The 66kg boxer, of Whitechurch BC Dublin, did the double. She won European Youth in March and World Youth gold in October. She is nominated for Young Athlete of the Year alongside Rashidat Adeleke (Athletics), Aoife Waters (Rugby), Emma Slevin (Swimming) Eve McMahon (Sailing), Lara Gillespie (Cycling), Leah Hough (Canoe freestyle), Lucy Bénézet Minns (Cycling), Orla Prendergast (Cricket) and Róisín Ní Ríain (Para Cycling)

The public vote is open until January 19th – here

Awards will be bestowed at a ceremony held at UCD Astra Hall on January 25th.

“The most important thing for anyone reference being a referee and judge is to be honest. To be honest to yourself when you sit down to make a decision and to be honest to the boxers who you are making a decision for”, so says National Registrar, Stephen Connolly, in the latest installment of Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing.

This short film is part of a series of shorts on Irish Boxing – Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing, commissioned by IABA and produced by Lowki Culture, and supported by Sport Ireland. Focusing on R&Js, the film features contributions from National Registrar Stephen Connolly, former National Registrar and 3 Star R&J, Philip Rooney, John Mongan of Olympic BC Galway, Jim Murrin of St. Brigid’s BC Edenderry and Eugene Duffy of St. Joseph’s BC, Derry.

There are in excess of 2,000 Referees and Judges at club, provincial and national level throughout the Association, who give hundreds of hours of their time, annually, to the officiating of bouts.

Jim Murrin says “My main thing is to see a battle in the ring, because I think it’s great for the audience and good for everyone else – and the skill, as well, of boxers. Girls and lads” and, he adds “The main thing is staying calm in the ring, because if you show any bit of fear at all, both boxers will pick up that the Referee won’t give a warning or won’t give a count….especially if you’re nervous in there. You learn these things as you go along”

Philip Rooney says boxer safety is his top priority “Number one: the priority is the safety of them two boxers. Geography doesn’t come in to your way of processing, of thinking. It can’t….Its that constant nin the ring with boxers, be they male or female, that gives you the edge to prepare for the next one, and you can correct yourself. I find that if Referees and Judges do not correct themselves or ask for advice, they aren’t learning anything. I still have a buzz to learn”

John Mongan says “Every contest is different. There’s highs and lows and, of course, when you come to higher level, to the Elites, that’s a pressure one. You prepare yourself, you prepare your mind for it, mentally, physically. When it comes to exams, that’s another, because you’ve got these examiners looking at you, these evaluators looking at you. These TDs….It can be very very daunting at times. But, as it comes back, the safety of the boxer is No. 1. You call, you make your decision, you stick by your decision. Sometimes you’ll be boo’d….it is what it is. You call it, for the safety of the boxer.”

Eugene Duffy says “It doesn’t matter where you go in the world and what new rules are brought up. People go away (to officiate) and they come back and say this has been changed, and that has been changed. That’s going on for 30 odd years. The only thing that can’t be changed in honesty, impartiality and fairness”

To qualify as a Referee, boxing club members must first have qualified as a judge and spent a year judging contests in their area. They may then undertake entry-level Referee qualification as part of a two day seminar, and Referee contests firstly, confined to their area and then as experience and skill builds, progress to refereeing at provincial and national level.

Check out the full Seconds Out series: