County Roscommon boxer at top of world rankings

A County Roscommon boxer has been confirmed as the top-ranked boxer in her weight category.

According to World Boxing’s latest rankings, world champion Aoife O’Rourke is the highest-ranked boxer in the 75kg category, having clocked up 1,125 points.

Her sister, Lisa, who contests at 70kg, is ranked sixth in the world in her weight division, with 225 points.

The new rankings are the third set published by World Boxing and have been updated in line with World Boxing Competition Rules, whereby the total amount of points accumulated from competition is reduced by 25 per cent on January 1st of the following calendar year, by 50 per cent on January 1st of the second calendar year, and by 100 per cent on January 1st of the third calendar year.

Five Team Ireland boxers have retained their positions in World Boxing’s latest rankings, including the O’Rourke sisters, Grainne Walsh, Patsy Joyce, and Jack Marley.

World Boxing ranking points are awarded for performances at the Olympic Games, World Boxing Cups, World Boxing Championships, Continental Championships, Continental Multi-Sport Games and the World Boxing Cup finals.

They are subsequently used for seeding boxers at competitions, with the points issued on a three-year cycle. Boxers may not accumulate ranking points from more than four competitions at a given time.