- Team Scotland has today announced the 11 boxers who will compete at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, including a record five women.
"VAN" (Sports Desk - 10.06.2026) :: Among those selected is 19-year-old Niamh Mitchell, who made history in 2022 when she became Scotland’s first female boxer to win a major international title.
Now, she is preparing to represent Team Scotland on the biggest stage of her career.
“I feel like I’ve been dreaming about this moment for so long.
“To be following in the footsteps of all the Team Scotland boxers who have come before me means everything.
“I think especially as a woman, we’ve not had a medal in the women’s event yet, so I’d love to get one for Scotland.”
Niamh is joined in the women’s squad by six-time Scottish champion and Scotland’s first female British champion Stephanie Kernachan, whose journey to Glasgow 2026 has been years in the making.
The 33-year-old from Glasgow watched the Glasgow 2014 Games on TV and dreamed of one day competing at the event herself. After missing out on selection for Gold Coast 2018, she thought that opportunity had passed.
“2014 was obviously the first time that women’s boxing was included, but Scotland didn’t actually have any female competitors.
“I could have been at 2018, but the limited weight classes made that really tough for me.”
Stephanie retired from the sport in 2019 and went into coaching. Three years later, she was persuaded to return to the boxing competitively.
“It’s been a long journey, and there were definitely times when I thought my chance had been and gone.
To be here now, at 33 years old, is just incredible.”
Four-time British and six-time Scottish champion Brooke Neely, European Under-23 bronze medallist Caitlin Rainey and Gee Bee Tournament bronze medallist Lara Brown complete Team Scotland’s women’s team.
It’s a similar story of proven talent over on the men’s side.
European Under-23 silver medallist Aaron Cullen is among those selected and knows exactly what it means to be part of Team Scotland. As a member of Team Scotland's Achieve Programme in 2022, he experienced the Games first-hand and watched Scotland’s boxers execute a historical performance.
“It’s actually a bit overwhelming,” Aaron expressed when asked how it feels to be officially selected for Team Scotland.
“To be there in Birmingham, take it all in and see the Scotland boys take all those golds, that was the point I knew I had to get there.
“To see guys I’d trained with get to the top of the podium, that really made me believe that I could do it too.”
World Championship quarter-finalists Alan Perrie and Robert McNulty will also make their Commonwealth Games debuts at Glasgow 2026.
For Alan, the Games have been on his mind for as long as he can remember.
“I’ve been boxing since I was 6, and the Commonwealth Games have always been my dream and focus.
“I remember watching Charlie Flynn and Josh Taylor win gold medals back in 2014 and thinking ‘I’m going to do that one day’.”
Two-time British senior champion Sonny Kerr, former European Schools medallist Nicholas Devlin and two-time Algirdas Socikas Tournament champion Leo Church complete Team Scotland’s men’s squad.
The boxing competition will take place at the SEC Centre from 24 July to 1 August, where Scotland’s boxers will have the chance to compete for Commonwealth glory in front of a home crowd.
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