Ruby White is relishing the prospect of continuing her meteoric rise at the Commonwealth Games.
The 19-year-old boxer arrives in Glasgow for her Games debut with a flawless reputation in the amateur ranks, having gone more than 60 fights unbeaten while collecting junior titles for fun.
Nicknamed the ‘Pocket Rocket’, White won her first national Minors title at just 11 years old and has since gone on to secure seven national championships in total.
On the international stage, White has claimed four European titles for England and crowned her junior career by winning the Under-19 World Championships in November 2024 aged just 17.
Now selected for Team England, White believes topping the podium at the SEC Centre is a crucial step in her journey to conquering the world.
“Obviously my goal is to win gold and bring back gold for England,” said White, who trains at Sturminster Newton Amateur Boxing Club.
“After that, I just want to keep progressing, keep training hard and performing, and getting those results in for GB and for England.
“I want to go to the 2028 Olympics, maybe do two Olympic cycles, and then I want to turn professional. I want to win everything as a professional and become undisputed.”
White began boxing aged seven and her selection for her country was an emotional moment after years of sacrifices.
“I cannot wait to put on my Team England vest and the kit, all of it,” she continued.
“That is the moment when you put on your T-shirt or your boxing strip for the first time. It’s just relief, like you’ve made it. You know your training has been worth it.
“All the gruelling runs, the sparring, the strength and conditioning, it’s all been worth it.
"It’s down to that moment, and you know you just need to perform now. And I’m going to feel so proud to wear it and to wear the Three Lions on my chest and do well for my country.”
The moment itself is one White will never forget. A call from GB performance director Rob McCracken, who has previously trained world champions Anthony Joshua and Carl Froch, resulted in disbelief and sheer delight for both White and her family.
“I started screaming down the phone. I was like, ‘No way! You’re joking? This isn’t real!’” she explained. “I told my mum about it. She didn’t believe me at first.”
White’s inspirations underline the level she is chasing. She looks up to Olympic champion Nicola Adams and two-weight undisputed champion Katie Taylor, two fighters who have defined success in women’s boxing and set the standard she now aims to follow.
And as White looks well-set to emulate her heroes, she knows her success would not have been possible with the sterling support she has received.
She added: “The England coaches have always been supportive of me. They understand me personally, my personality and how I am outside of training, and how I can struggle with things mentally when it gets a little bit too much sometimes.
“I know I can speak to them about everything because they've been through it.”
