Hawick teenager Rosie Swailes hoping to box clever for Scotland at weekend

The 13-year-old will be representing Scotland at the British Schoolgirl Boxing Championships in Dundee and she can’t wait to get in the ring, telling us: “It’s really exciting.

“It was a big shock but it’s great.”

The Hawick Boxing Club member’s parents, Richard and Shirley Swailes, and trainers Andy MacFarlane, Dylan Greig and Corey Hunter are planning to travel up to Dundee to cheer her on, and Rosie’s determined to do her utmost to give them cause for celebration but she admits she’s got no idea how she’ll get on, the national competition being uncharted territory for her.

“I don’t know how I’ll do really, but I’ll give it my best shot and see how I do,” said the Hawick High School pupil.

She’s stepped up her training, both with gloves on to work on her technique and without by running to build up her stamina, over recent months to get herself ready for what will be her highest-profile competition yet following three wins out of three so far – in Hamilton in November, Motherwell in February and Wishaw in March – and she has also been taking part in sessions at Boxing Scotland’s high-performance centre in Glasgow, that being where she caught the eye of national selectors.