Rotorua boxers going for gold at the New Zealand Golden Gloves

Central North Island Boxing Club's Kahu Rangiawha, 13 (left), Naturelle Rangiawha, 13, and Kevin Hay, 13, are some of the boxers who will be in action at the North Island Golden Gloves. Photo / File

Last month, 120 action-packed boxing bouts were held over two days at the North Island Golden Gloves in Taupō.

The best boxers at that event were selected for the North Island team who take on their South Island counterparts in the New Zealand Golden Gloves in Rotorua tomorrow.There will be 34 bouts held.

Central North Island Boxing Club owner Rex Jenkins is one of the organisers and has five athletes taking the ring; Hunter Hay, 12, in the Cadets 40kg division, Kahu Rangiawha, 13, in the Cadets 48kg, Kevin Hay, 13, in the Cadets 54kg, Naturelle Rangiawha, 13, in the Cadets 50kg and Emile Richardson in the Elite men's 75kg.

The club also had national title-holder Maea Hay, 15, entered but she was unopposed in her age group and weight class.

Jenkins said gold medals were not the only thing up for grabs this weekend.

"This is also a New Zealand ranking tournament so we've got mostly top boxers fighting here. Emile Richardson will be out top fight, he'll be fighting Ryan Scaife from Wellington.

"Ryan has been the number one middleweight but didn't turn up to a ranking tournament up in Auckland early in the year so Emile is number one until Ryan beats him again. In the meantime Emile has been in Europe for a month fighting."

He was confident that if all his boxers stuck to their plans they would come away victorious.

"I would like to see them go out there and box, not go out there looking for scraps. They've all got the ability to box and box really smart. That's all I expect to see them do tomorrow. It will be a very entertaining day."

Tomorrow'stournament will also be used to select a junior/cadet team who will travel to Australia to fight.

"This will be the first time this has happened for a long, long time and it's only because I've been onto New Zealand Boxing to do something for our kids to keep them in the sport. Hopefully we'll take between 10-15 juniors and cadets.

"Maea is unopposed at this tournament but that's only because no girl in New Zealand wants to fight her. Last year, she beat [18-year-old Te Mania Shelford] who they sent to the Youth Olympic Games. That shows her ability and the only way she cam improve now is if we can get her overseas fighting."

The only Tauranga boxer set to compete at the event was Ariane Nicholson (nee Adlington), in the Elite Women's 69kg category, but she had to withdraw at late notice due to illness.

The New Zealand Golden Gloves

Where:

Selwyn Primary School, Rotorua.

When:

Session One from 12pm, Session Two from 6pm.

Spectator entry price:

Session One: Adults $10, children $5. Session Two: Adults $15, children $10.