IABA is delighted to partner with Branding Sport, industry leaders in sports branding, to develop a new brand identity that reflects the pride, passion, and spirit of the boxing community.

We are looking for members of the Irish Boxing Community to take part in some research and discovery – including 1-to-1 Zoom interviews and online surveys.

If you would like to play a part in developing our new identity, please complete the link and the team at Branding Sport will be in touch. Register to take part here

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) announced the launch of this major initiative to develop a new brand identity that reflects the pride, passion, and spirit of the boxing community on September 4th

One of the key outcomes from the member consultation process for the In Your Corner strategic plan was a clear call for a refreshed brand identity — one that tells the world how proud we are to be Boxing People.

To bring this vision to life, the IABA has engaged Branding Sport, industry leaders in sports branding, to collaborate with clubs, coaches, boxers, officials, elected leaders and fans in creating something truly unique for the boxing community.

“This project is about more than just a logo — it’s about celebrating who we are and where we’re going as a sport,” said Gary Stewart, CEO of the IABA. “We want everyone in the boxing family to have a voice in shaping the identity that will represent us for years to come.”

Branding Sport have an impressive portfolio, devising new identities for the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Squash Ireland, and Sport Ireland.

Members of the boxing community are invited to stay informed about the project and get involved in upcoming opportunities to contribute by subscribing to the IABA’s new weekly newsletter, The Round Up. Read this week’s edition, and subscribe, here

As part of Children First Awareness Week IABA is re-platforming to clubs the Garda National Vetting Bureau’s revised process for vetting applications for all member club coaches and non-coaching volunteers in the following areas:

Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow. 

Clubs based in Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh, and Tyrone can continue to use the AccessNI vetting process for all coaches and non-coaching volunteers in their club.

Children First Awareness Week runs from September 15th to 21st and the theme is ” We were all children once, now we are Children First“

Who Should be Garda Vetted

All coaches and all non-coaching volunteers

Who is responsible for ensuring Garda Vetting is up-to-date

The club is responsibile for ensuring that the Garda Vetting of all coaches and non-coaching volunteers is up-to-date.

All clubs can access vetting expiry information for each coach and non-coaching volunteer they have registered in their Blocworx portal.

Using Garda eVetting through IABA

To use our eVetting service you must:

• Be over 16 years old
• If aged 16-18 years, have submitted signed “Parent / Guardian” consent form
• Have access to a valid email address
• Have access to the internet
• Have completed the “Proof of Identity” process

To complete your eVetting application, you will require the following information:

• Your name(s) and any other name(s) you are known as or have been known as
• Gender
• Date of Birth
• City/Town and Country of birth
• Mother’s surname at birth
• Passport Number where applicable
• Job role
• All addresses from birth are required (Irish and international). No gaps are permitted from year of birth to the current year.
• Particulars of any criminal record (if any)

Garda Vetting Documentation

These are the only forms which should be used in vetting applications from today’s date. All forms and supporting documentation should be return to vetting@iaba.ie

IABA Vetting Form

Guidance document for the IABA Vetting Form

Parent/Guardian consent to vetting form, for those aged 16-18

Guidance document on the Garda Vetting process

Help and Support

Any club which requires help or support in relation to Garda Vetting is invited to get in touch with IABA’s National Safeguarding Manager, Stephen Flynn: stephen@iaba.ie and +353 86 074 8867

Over 100 people took part in the first ever festival of boxing learning, Swinford BoxCon – a collaboration between IABA, Swinford Boxing Club and Mayo Local Sports Partnership.

The 3 day weekend included workshops on Sport Psychology, cuts & wraps, Youth Mental Health First Aid, two coach qualification courses, Youth Leadership course and coaching teenage girls. It was open to all members of IABA clubs.

This large-scale multi-venue festival would not have been possible without the support of the town of Swinford, in particular Swinford Court Digital Hub, Cruinniu, and the Gateway Hotel, all of which hosted events throughout the weekend.

As Children First Awareness Week, continues, the IABA is highlighting provison of Safeguarding learning to coaches and non-coaching volunteers and parents.

These workshops educate participants on the implementation of best practice in safeguarding the welfare of children involved in our sport, and are a requirement for all coaches, and non-coaching volunteers who interact with children in a club setting.

Children First Awareness Week runs from September 15th to 21st and the theme is ” We were all children once, now we are Children First“

Safeguarding Workshops

In 2024, IABA delivered 16 Safeguarding 1 and 2 workshops, and to date in 2025, has delivered 13 online workshops and half a dozen in-person workshops.

IABA is open, on request, to providing Safeguarding One and/or Safeguarding Two learning in person, at a county board or provincial unit level. County Boards and Provinical Units who wish to commission in-person delivery of this learning are invited to make contact with IABA National Safeguarding Manager, Stephen Flynn, via stephen@iaba.ie

Safeguarding One

All adults – coaches, committee members & non-coaching volunteers – in every club who have contact with children are required to have undertaken Safeguarding 1.

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E20. 

We have three online workshops remaining this year, and you can register here https://shout.com/s/5tP2AMoB

Month	Date/Time	Delivery
October	Wednesday 22nd 18.30-21.30	online
November	Tuesday 18th 18.30-21.30	online
December	Wednesday 4th 18.30-21.30	online

Safeguarding Two

The aim of this workshop is to help the Club Children’s Officer to carry out their role and support the implementation of best practice in the club. Participants will also receive a Club Children’s Officer Action Planning document as part of the training.

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E20. 

Register here: https://shout.com/s/o3NuYG4s

Quarter	Date/Time	Delivery
Quarter 1-Feburary: Completed	12TH 18.30-21.230	online
Quarter 2-May: Completed	22ND 18.30-21.30	online
Quarter 2- August: Completed	18TH 18.30-21.30	online
Quarter 2- December	11TH 18.30-21.30	online

Online Learning Resources

Tusla has worked with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the HSE to develop a universal e-learning programme called ‘Introduction  to Children First’. The programme has been written to support people of all backgrounds and experience in recognising concerns about children and reporting such concerns if they arise. This eLearning is available HERE

Sport Ireland offers an online Safeguarding One eLearning refresher, which you can access HERE

The NSPCC provides Safeguarding learning in Northern Ireland, which you can access HERE

Additional Resources

Sport Ireland has made a suite of additional resoures available on a range of topics which align with Safeguarding:

Eating Disorders

Social Media

Code of Conduct

Grooming

Garda Vetting

Mandated Persons

Responding to a child who discloses abuse

Safeguarding Roles

Safeguarding Workshops

Safe Recruitment

Child Safeguarding Statement

Risk Assessment of Harm

There’s under a year to 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games! TeamNI Boxing have a proud tradition of achievement at the Games,  most recently topping the medals table at Birmingham 2022.

We know that clubs and boxers are understandably eager for information on the weights to be contested in Glasgow, and the number of quota places available to TeamNI Boxing. We’ll bring that to you as soon as it is finalized by Commonwealth Games Committee and World Boxing. These key pieces of information will inform the selection policy for boxers representing TeamNI Boxing.

Clubs and boxers are assured that it’s intended that December’s Ulster Elite Championships will be the key event feeding in to the selection process, on its finalisation. Boxers who wish to be considered for selection to represent TeamNI Boxing at the Commonwealth Games should be preparing with this competition in mind. Boxers will be required to be eligible to represent Northern Ireland under the Commonwealth Games Federation Rules (Commonwealth Bye Law 16, Pg 36 & 37) and World Boxing eligibility regulations.

To keep up-to-date will all TeamNI news cross all sports, you can visit TeamNI.org and information on Glasgow 2026 is available here. You can subscribe to the Glasgow 2026 newsletter here