One of the most sought after trophies, on offer at the Boxing New Zealand National Championships, is the New Zealand Boxing Council Cup awarded to the Youth most scientific boxer.

The Youth (Formerly Intermediate) division is a very important component of the Boxing New Zealand boxer’s pathway. The category that caters for 16 and 17 year olds, is the bridge between age-group competition and the senior competitive ranks. An Intermediate grade was introduced at the 1970 NZBA Junior championships held in Hamilton. 

It is interesting to look back at the winners over the years,  with some carrying on to high honours, while other quietly slipped out the sport.

The first recipient of the NZ Boxing Council trophy went on to legendary status in our sport. Trained by Martin Ryan, in the Naki, Ron Jackson was the first name to be engraved on the Intermediate grade big prize in 1972.

Ron Jackson, is entitled to be ranked as one of the best amateur pugilists produced in the country. Ron Jackson's four Jameson Belts, were part of Coach Alan Scaife's amazing record, of training six consecutive Jameson Belt winners between 1973 and 1978. Ron earned selection for two Commonwealth Games, boxing at home at the 1974 Games held in Christchurch and the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada. 

The second winner of the Intermediate most scientific award came from one of the most decorated boxing families in the country. Dean Rackley along with brothers Les junior and Perry, were selected to represent their country in Commonwealth Games competition, with Jeff Rackley boxing at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Another Alan Scaife trained boxer to have his name engraved on the trophy was, Brent White in 1974, who was a three time runner-up in senior national competition. Steven Piggott (1977/1978) and Tony Terure (1989/1990) are the only back to back winners of the age-group big prize. Terure joined David Tua in representing New Zealand at the 1990 AIBA World junior championships, held in Lima Peru. 

Jason Eade (1985), mentored by Bill Enright in the Deep South of the country, was the second of the nine the Intermediate most scientific award winners,  who would go on to be presented with the Jameson Belt.

The 1987 National Championships witnessed the emergence of Trevor Shailer. The Manawatu boxer joined Ron Jackson as the only four time winners of the Jameson Belt, with Shailer earning a berth at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Dean Calvert won the prize donated by the Scottish whisky distillery in 1988, with Noah Lopez (1993) and Emmett Gradwell (1994), also going on to have the Jameson Belt strapped around their waist. Central North Island's David Jenkins was awarded the NZ Boxing Council in 1995. David backed it up the following year, with the senior Featherweight title and added the Bill O'Conner Cup given to the youngest senior champion, for good measure.

The 1996 championships in Temuka, was the turn of home-town hero Liam Hall to lift aloft the Intermediate big prize, before going on to win the senior Light Heavyweight title in 2000. Carl Dickey, was another to add a senior title to the Intermediate most scientific award, winning the senior Welterweight crown and the Bill O’Conner Cup in 2002.

Joe Blackbourn and Nathan McEwan,  won the Jameson prize four times from 2005 to 2008, laying out their credential in winning the NZ Boxing Council Cup in 2003 and 2004, respectively. The Welterweight championship and the Jameson Belt fell to Joe Blackbourn in 2005. The following year Nathan McEwan won the first of his three Middleweight belts, earning his first Jameson Belt.

Two huge Middleweight battles between Blackbourn and McEwan dominated the 2006 and 2007 Nationals. The 2006 title decider saw McEwan beat Blackbourn with the result reversed the following year. The winner in each instance was rewarded with the Jameson Belt.

Ryan Scaife, would go on to follow on from early promise after winning the NZ Boxing Council Cup in 2014, with five successive Middleweight belts and two Jameson Belts.

NEW ZEALAND BOXING COUNCIL CUP       Most Scientific Intermediate/Youth Boxer

(The Coach of the NZ Boxing Council Cup Winner Receives RJ Dunn Trophy)

Year       Location                    Winner                                                 Coach

1971       Upper Hutt                Ron Jackson – Taranaki *                   Martin Ryan

1972       Gisborne                   Dean Rackley – Nelson                       Les Rackley

1973       Greymouth                David Verner – Waikato

1974       Fielding                     Brent White – Hutt Valley                    Alan Scaife

1975       Alexandra                  K Pancha – Wellington

1976       Hutt Valley                G White – Hutt Valley                          Alan Scaife

1977       Invercargill                Steven Piggott – Auckland

1978       Dannevirke                Steven Piggott – Manukau

1979       Christchurch              Granville Reihana – Timaru                 Ernie Woods

1980       Invercargill                Victor Nicholson – Southland           

1981       Upper Hutt                 Pa Puki – Bluff                                     Bobby Baglin

1982       Upper Hutt                Monty Sewpersad – Southland             Brian Harvey

1983       Timaru                       Neil Gillies – Central North Island       Tony Niumata

1984       Rotorua                     Jason McCarron – Hutt Valley              George McCarron

1985       Christchurch              Jason Eade – Southland *                     Bill Enright

1986       Hamilton                    Les Bower – Southland                        Ivan Colvin

1987       Timaru                       Trevor Shailer – Manawatu *                Trevor Shailer snr

1988       Upper Hutt                Dean Calvert – Canterbury *                Peter Bell

1989       Auckland                   Tony Terure – Manawatu                      Malcolm Nicol

1990       Christchurch              Tony Terure – Manawatu                      Malcolm Nicol

1991       Tauranga                   Michael Owen – Gisborne                    Mel Watts

1992       Timaru                       Steven O’Brien – Green Island            Jack Drew

1993       Hastings                    Noah Lopez – Canterbury *                 Phillip Shatford

1994       Christchurch              Emmett Gradwell – Oamaru *             Ave Luxon

1995       Auckland                   David Jenkins – CNI **                       Rex Jenkins

1996       Temuka                     Liam Hall – Timaru                               Ernie Woods

1997       Taupo                        Aaron Healey – Hawkes Bay                Nuki Johnson/John Healey

2001       Taupo                        Carl Dickey – Southland **                 Alan Dickey

2002       Timaru                       Raniera Easton – Waikato                    Dr John McKay

2003       Palmerston North      Joe Blackbourn – Wellington/Hutt Valley * Russell Oliver

2004       Invercargill                Nathan McEwen – West Coast * - **  Cliff Adams

2005       Lower Hutt                Scott Nicholson – Otago                      Victor Nicholson

2006       Rotorua                      Josiah Meehan –  Manawatu                 Billy Meehan

2007       North Shore               Ricky Murphy – Feilding                      Colin McAsey 

2008       Upper Hutt                 Jake Campbell – Wanganui/Taranaki - Jim Comp

2009       Rotorua                      Tyson Whalley – Waikato                     Don Whalley

2010       Christchurch              Aryk Whalley – Waikato                       Don Whalley

2011       Lower Hutt                Gage Brown – Nelson                           Steven Mitchell

2012       Auckland                   Kazarm Ruakere – Central Auckland    Caine Warren

2013       Auckland

2014       Queenstown              Ryan Scaife -Wellington/Hut Valley * - ** Grant Scaife

2015       Invercargill               Hosea Watson - Canterbury                 Nick Watson

2016       Rotorua                     Rayden Downs - South Auckland        Rakai Kirkwood   

2017       Rotorua                     Tui Vea –Auckland                               Fili Maka

2018       Christchurch             Jesse Hawken – Southland                   Faliu Mauu

2019       Hastings                    Xavier Mataafa-Ikinofo - CNI             Trevor Wright

2020      Porirua                       Daniel Meehan  - Canterbury               Mark Fuller

Jameson Belt Winner *

Bill O’Connor Cup Winner **

Article added: Wednesday 01 September 2021