Co. Derry Boxing team in confident mood ahead of William Wallace Box Cup in Scotland

​The Co. Derry Boxing team were awarded the 'best team' accolade after the inaugural tournament in Stirling, Scotland last year and there's high hopes for a repeat performance this weekend.

Twenty one boxers from county Derry will be among the travelling group for the three day tournament who made their way to Scotland on the ferry on Thursday morning.

Boxing starts today (Friday) and continues on Saturday with the finals scheduled for Sunday.

The Derry team are already guaranteed silverware with a number of their representatives making it directly through to the finals day and they’re expected to clinch plenty more if their recent training sessions are anything to go by.

The team, managed by Jim Knox includes several Derry & District, North West Zone, Ulster and Nine Counties champions plus one or two boxers who recently boxed in the All Irelands, therefore hopes are high ahead of the tournament.

Boxers from Oak Leaf ABC, St Joseph’s ABC and several other Co. Derry boxing gyms are well represented with boxers from Swatragh, Portstewart, Coleraine and Greysteel all involved.

Team manager, Knox, who is also Derry Boxing Board secretary and treasurer of the Ulster Boxing Board, is confident ahead of what’s expected to be a tough test of their credentials.

“We have 21 boxers, six coaches, three referees and a judge heading away to Stirling for the tournament,” said Knox.

“They have been training for the last six weeks and we even had Connor Coyle down to take them through a couple of sessions to prepare them for what will be a tough test.

“It’s a bigger tournament this year so we have to see how we get on. We already have a couple of boys in final so we’re guaranteed some silverware.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to experience tournament boxing,” he added. “It’ll be good to be in that setting and we’ve taken a few of the younger boxers this year to sample that. Getting up at 7am, training, weighing in, getting breakfast and then the boxing. It’s a proper camp.

“We have D&D North West Zone, Ulster nine counties, boys who boxed in the All Irelands this year so it’s a good, strong team of boys from all over the county."