12-year-old to fight for top trophy

Young Rotorua boxer Maea Hay will fight for the Bill Woods Memorial Trophy during the Rotorua Central Boxing Club's annual tournament.

The tournament will be staged at Waikite Rugby Club on Bellvue Rd today from 2pm, with about 22 fights on the card.

"There will be some brilliant amateur boxing on display," club owner Rex Jenkins said. "Fighters are coming from all over the North Island and we have fighters from 10 years old right up to elite [senior] boxers."

He said many of the fighters taking part will be in contention to win national titles later this year at the 2016 Boxing New Zealand Championships, also being held in Rotorua.

Jenkins said each year they choose one in-form fighter from their club to fight for the Bill Woods Memorial Trophy at the annual tournament, challenging another fighter from around New Zealand.

"This weekend a 12-year-old from our club, Maea Hay will fight for the trophy. She has had 12 fights and nine wins," he said. "We put that trophy up every year and she is fighting against another young girl from Gisborne."

Jenkins said Woods was a close friend who lived up north and did a lot for the sport before sadly dying in a car crash.

- Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.