First RAF national boxing title in years bagged by Plymouth corporal

The first RAF national boxing medal for nine years has been claimed by a boxer from Plymouth. Corporal Jennifer Sabine, who is from Woolwell, emerged as the female under-50kg category winner at the England Boxing National Development Championships (EBNDC).

It's just a year on from her competitive boxing debut, and comes after a series of highly competitive bouts against civilian opponents. A member of RAF Lossiemouth’s RAF Police Flight, Jennifer, 26, started boxing with RAF Lossiemouth Boxing Club in 2022.

However, she only boxed competitively for the first time in October 2023. She was crowned champion at the EBNDC final on October 20. The bout - against an opponent from Northside ABC, Manchester - was stopped in the second round. The RAF last won a national boxing title in 2015.

Jennifer had prepared for the EBNDC Championships with a grueling RAF Boxing Development Squad training camp hosted at RAF Wittering and RAF Brize Norton. Having advanced from the UK Armed Forces Development Championship Finals in September, Jennifer joined her UK Armed Forces counterparts as they took on London Boxing in the EBNDC pre-quarter-finals.

She won unanimously against an opponent from Islington Boxing Club. She went on to win her quarter-final convincingly, stopping her Hillcrest BC opponent in the second round.

Jennifer and her coaches then travelled to Arena Sports Kettering for the semi-finals. There, she achieved another second-round stoppage win, beating a more experienced boxer from Leamington Spa Community Boxing Club.

Corporal Jennifer Sabine, EBNDC female under-50kg champion, 2024 said: “I am extremely proud of winning the RAF’s first national boxing title since 2015. RAF Boxing, Elgin BC, Windrush Valley BC, and RAF Boxing played a big part in my success and so I share the credit with all of the coaches that have helped me along the way.”

Squadron Leader Martin Hughes, RAF Lossiemouth Boxing Club and RAF Boxing Development Squad Head Coach, added: “Jennifer has been fantastic to work with and is living proof of the success that you can have in boxing with hard work and dedication. For her to be national champion, having first boxed competitively only a year ago, is incredible, and she should be extremely proud.

“A special mention goes to the RAF coaches that have helped her along the way and also to the civilian clubs she’s trained with, in particular Elgin BC who have welcomed her into the fold and provided the extra training and hard sparring that is required in amateur boxing.”

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