Following hard on the heels of the Boxing New Zealand success in winning the Adelaide Super Eight title, another team of Kiwi boxers are off to another international tournament, to compete in the Taipei Cup in Taiwan 16-18 August 2019. 

The Boxing New Zealand team is the next crop of aspiring Kiwi international boxers, with an even split of four male and female boxers.

Welterweight Wendell Stanley has made a successful transition to the senior ranks, after winning the Youth Welterweight title at the 2018 Boxing New Zealand National Championships. Stanley made his senior international debut at the 2019 Arafura Games, losing a paper thin split decision in preliminary action.

Canterbury Light Welterweight Sam Burdett-Clarke is taking the step up into international competition, after finishing as the runner-up in the Light Welter Division at the last two National Championships.

Rendell Remanese moved up a couple of division to win a South Island Golden Gloves title and should be extremely competitive in the Flyweight class in Taiwan. Michael Crawford, who will box in the Lightweight division, has been showing good form from his Christchurch base to earn an international trip.

A reigning national senior champion to make the trip to Taiwan, is female Light Welterweight champion Cara Wharerau, who cruised to victory in the title decider at the 2018 Christchurch Nationals. Kate Thompson knows all about the pressure of international competition after winning a bronze medal at the 2019 Arafura Games.

Roimata Ransfield showed she is ready for the step up in competition, when she beat a Queensland boxer at the Anza Super series in July. Stephanie Trotter is another to have impressed the selectors this season, with the international competition in Taiwan, likely to take her development up a further step.

There is experience in spades with the selection of Dr John McKay as team manager. McKay, who seems to have been around the amateur sport in the country forever, has a boxing CV that other coaches can only dream about. Olympic, World Championships and Commonwealth Games coaching experience, is multiplied by international Gold Medals at prestige tournaments, such as the Mayors Cup in the Philippines and the Indonesian Presidents Cup.

Two of the rising group of Boxing New Zealand coaches in Dion McNabney and Stuart Adams, will be in the New Zealand corner at the Taipei Cup.

Taipei Cup, Taiwan 16/18 August 2019

Male

52kg Rendell Remanese (Canterbury)

60kg Mathew Crawford (Canterbury)

64kg Sam Burdett-Clarke (Canterbury)

69kg Wendell Stanley (Auckland)

Female 

51kg Kate Thompson (Auckland)

54kg Roimata Ransfield (Auckland)

64kg Cara Wharerau (Kirikiriroa)

75kg Stephanie Trotter (Waikato)

Manager: Dr John McKay.         Coaches: Dion McNabney, Stuart Adams

ed: Friday 16 August 2019