BOXING is increasing by significant degrees at the University of York which will stage its first exhibition night.

The University of York Boxing club has been on its guard for five full years, but such has been the upswing as it enters its sixth year that membership has more than doubled.

The surge in gloved combat has prompted club officials to put on its first event, an exhibition fight night at the Roger Kirk Centre on the campus on Saturday, June 15.

The bill will comprise two female boxing bouts, seven male contests, and seven mixed martial arts duels as the UYBC co-hosts the Saturday special with the York Mixed Martial Arts Club.

Said Oli Whear, president of the university club: “Since last year’s Olympic Games in London our membership has gone from 70 to 150 and, of that, 40 per cent are girl students.

“The boxing club includes fitness conditioning and mixed martial arts, but primarily it is about boxing and learning its techniques and skills.

“But the club has also put together a good social club atmosphere and with the increase in girl students taking part we are also hitting our targets in providing proper representation of the student body.”

The university club, which runs each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, has benefited from input provided by York Amateur Boxing Club, whose head coach Billy Wilson has forged strong links at the campus.

“A lot of our members supplement their own training here by training at York ABC (in Walmgate). There’s a good link between the two clubs,” added Whear, who, along with UYBC fitness co-ordinator Adam Slattery, will be fighting on the June 15 bill.

“Billy has helped us with all the practical stuff about putting on a show and later on the club will be doing a 12-hour charity run with the funds split between Snowball (a university charity project) and the Jack Raine Foundation, of which York ABC is part.”

Besides the healthy contingent of girls in the club, the exhibition night – to be opened by a samba band – will also showcase several fighters from across the globe with nations such as France, China and Nigeria among the students being represented.

Tickets for the night, which starts at 6.30pm, are priced at £8 for standing, £10 on the balcony; and £12 ringside at the Roger Kirk Centre.

Further details are available from the club’s facebook page on facebook.com/UYBoxingClub and on twitter on @UYBoxing.