England equal best boxing haul at CommonwealthsImage source, PA MediaImage caption, Ruby White became the seventh England boxer with reach the Commonwealth Games finals in GlasgowByCraig NelsonBBC Sport JournalistPublished31 July 2026, 14:10 BSTUpdated 49 minutes agoEngland’s boxers equalled their best ever performance at a Commonwealth Games after seven fighters won through to Saturday’s finals.Dorset’s Ruby White, dubbed the ‘Pocket Rocket’, was the standout performer, with the 19-year-old claiming the 68th consecutive win of her senior career to reach her first Commonwealth final. England had already matched their best medal tally, set in Edinburgh in 1986, with 10 boxers reaching Friday’s semi-finals to guarantee at least a bronze medal.But with seven out of those 10 going on to clinch victory, England also equalled their record for boxing finalists at a Commonwealth Games – set in 1986 and matched at Gold Coast in 2018.White was joined in the finals by Chantelle Reid and Sacha Hickey in the women’s competition, while Isaac Okoh, Patris Mughalzai and Dimeji Shittu won through in the men’s events and Damar Thomas took his place in the finals via a walkover. However, England would need a 100% record in Saturday’s finals to break their record of six boxing gold medals at a single Commonwealth Games, set in Australia eight years ago. The finals are scheduled to take place from 11:00 to 19:30 BST on Saturday in Glasgow. ‘Steak before bed’ is White’s lucky charmWhite produced the semi-finals’ most eye-catching display to dismantle fellow teenager Mischa Araes inside two rounds. After knocking the 18-year-old to the canvas at the end of the first round, the diminutive Dorset boxer forced Araes into two standing counts in the second round and the referee stopped the fight.It continued her impressive winning run, which stretches back to more than 80 fights when including junior and youth bouts. “I wanted to be in there for the full three minutes, I was enjoying it so much,” she stated.”I couldn’t ask for better. I’m a little bit lost for words, but the job is not done yet. I’ve got to bring that gold medal home.”White is scheduled to fight Sakshi Chaudhary – one of 10 Indian boxers to reach the finals – in the women’s 51kg final at 16:30 BST on Saturday, and she knows exactly how she will prepare for the biggest fight of her burgeoning amateur career. “I’m going to give my mum a big fat cuddle,” she stated. “And then I’m going to have an early night and get a steak before bed, that’s my good luck charm.”How Okoh ‘schooled’ Scotland’s McNultyImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Heavyweight Isaac Okoh became the sixth England boxer to book a place in Saturday’s finals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow White was the only England fighter to reach the finals in the evening session, with both Lucy Kings-Wheatley and Mary Kate Smith falling to narrow defeats. Kings-Wheatley and Smith will pick up bronze medals, as will Lauren Mackie, who lost to Canada’s Scarlett Delgado in the morning session. But the rest of England’s 10 semi-finalists will go on to fight for gold on Saturday.Reid put in a superb display to comfortably make it past Australia’s world number two Lekeisha Pergoliti in the women’s 70kg semi-finals.The 28-year-old world bronze medallist only recently returned to the ring after spending six years out with a degenerative back condition and says she is now looking forward to what she can do in the final.
She told TNT Sports: “I’m just going to try to keep getting these wins in. It’s all good preparation for the Olympic Games [in Los Angeles in 2028].”
Okoh produced an equally disciplined performance to ease past Scotland’s Robert McNulty in the men’s heavyweight division (+90kg).
The 22-year-old quietened the home crowd in Glasgow, winning all three rounds before raising both gloves to his ears at the final bell as he waited for his unanimous win to be verified.
“They [McNulty’s fans] have been hostile all week,” stated the Grays fighter. “I won on Tuesday and they came out and told me I was going to get knocked out, but there was no knocking out today. He got schooled.”
