Tag: Norther ireland

Photo of a young girl in an electric wheelchair playing boccia. She is wearing a boccia cap with head pointer.

National Boccia Training Camp 2026 Recap

Largs played host to the National Boccia Training Camp, which was held earlier this month (13th to 15th February) at sportscotland National Sports Training Centre Inverclyde.  

Attending the camp were seven national players plus one development player from Scotland, as well as five players and a couple coaches from Disability Sport Norther Ireland (DSNI).  

The camp kicked off on the Friday with a ‘connections and culture’ workshop. This allowed for the new squad members to hear from the more experienced players about the impact and involvement of being in the squad, followed by the opportunity to discuss player’s aspirations.  

This was followed by a two-hour long skills session with DSNI.  

The Saturday was a jampacked day of training from 9am to 6pm, divided into a morning and afternoon session. Players were separated into small groups of mixed classifications and squads. This allowed players to learn from each other, share insights and tips and gain an understanding of the different skills required per player.  

Each group also had access to a selection of coaches from both Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and DSNI.  

Scottish squad member, Fiona Muirhead, commented on the day saying: “Having coaches and athletes from Northern Ireland has provided a good opportunity to play against new players, particularly those we don’t play often, it was also good to engage with new coaches and different coaching styles. It just gives us a bit more variety and an opportunity to push ourselves more.”   

Fiona Muirhead playing boccia. She is wearing her Scottish boccia kit and in her electric wheelchair.

 

 

After the intense day of training on Saturday, the evening’s entertainment involved a quiz and music bingo – it was quite the social affair!  

Sunday provided players with the opportunity to put their learning from Saturday to the test, with games played from 9am to 12noon in proper matchday format.  

SDS’ Boccia Development Officer, Jonathan Kennedy, regarded the camp a big success. He said, “It was fantastic to have a joint camp with players and coaches from DSNI. 

“I feel the camp is invaluable to everyone who attended as everyone can share their knowledge and experience and as a result support player and coach development. 

“This joint camp, which has been done for a few years now, allowed for close partnership working between both SDS and DSNI. The set up supports players across the national squad pathway through to those on the world class programme and I believe it is a unique set up that we have with both countries playing a part in shaping the camp.” 

He continued to say: “It was also great to see young up and coming development players attending with their coaches to work with the other coaches and players both in gaining information but sharing their knowledge and experience. ” 

Fiona added to this, saying: “The Scottish Camp always has such a lovely atmosphere. It was really exciting to see the new faces, particularly the new female faces joining the group.” 

Reflecting on the weekend, Scottish and Boccia UK Performance coach, Claire Morrison, said: “It is always great to get our Scottish Squad players together for an intensive couple of days training and matchplay. 

“Having the opportunity to work alongside our friends from Northern Ireland also brings a different dimension and variety to our work. It is a really important way to start the season both technically and from a connectivity perspective. 

“There is a great mix of experience and youth in the group of players and I love to see how they work together and support each other to learn and have fun in this environment.” 

Photo of a young man in his wheelchair with red and blue boccia balls. He is wearing a green Northern Ireland boccia training kit.

 

 

If you would like to find out more about boccia and how you can get involved as a player, official, volunteer, coach, education practitioner, please get in contact with SDS’ boccia development manager at: jonathan.kennedy@sottishdisabilitysport.co.uk or call: 0131 317 1130 

To find out how you can get involved in disability sport throughout your area as a participant, coach, official or volunteer, contact your Regional Development Manager. 

To keep up to date with all things disability sport across Scotland, follow Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Group photo of Scottish players, officials and team manager altogether smiling for the photo.

Boccia 2025: A Year in Review

Boccia celebrates the role models who inspire progress, strengthen performance pathways, and unite communities through inclusive sport. 

It’s been a remarkable year for boccia in Scotland. Scottish Disability Sport (SDS), Scotland’s National Governing Body for the sport, has delivered one of its busiest years yet, creating many opportunities for social play and competitive events across the country. 

Reflecting on this progress, the boccia community celebrates the role models who inspire participation, strengthen performance pathways, and showcase the power of inclusive sport.  

2024 saw Stephen McGuire crowned Paralympic champion at the Paris Paralympics, becoming the first Scottish boccia athlete to win gold at a Paralympic Games. Building on that historic achievement, 2025 has not disappointed, with Scottish players continuing to showcase their talent on both national and international circuits.  

The interest in the game continues to grow, with new and experienced players, officials, volunteers, and coaches coming together across Scotland to support the sport’s development and create opportunities for everyone to get involved.  

 

Improving performance pathways 

Throughout 2025, the skills and expertise of boccia coaches in Scotland have continued to grow, with Peter McGuire, Scott McCowan and Jamie McCowan successfully completing the Boccia Coaching Futures Programme.  

The newly qualified Coach Apprentices have been working closely with experienced coaches across Scotland to develop skills and support national and regional athletes, helping to strengthen the performance pathway.  

Over the past 12 months, Scottish Disability Sport has seen a surge in interest from individuals keen to become boccia coaches. With six Boccia Leaders courses and one Level 1 Boccia Coaching course delivered, many more coaches and leaders are now equipped to pursue their boccia ambitions and support the sport’s growth.  

To support player development, SDS invited a select group of regional athletes and their coaches to train alongside the national squad. This collaborative experience provided valuable learning opportunities, strengthening both athlete performance and coaching expertise. 

For the first time ever, SDS’s National Open Championships were held over two days. With the new extended event model, SDS took the opportunity to stage a classification clinic which allowed developmental players to get nationally classified. Once an athlete is classified, they can enter National Open Championships, further helping emerging athletes progress along the performance pathway. 

The UK Coaching Awards has recognised the achievements of two Scottish coaches, with both Claire Morrison and Peter McGuire named as finalists for High Performance Coach of the Year and Talent Development Coach of the Year, respectively.  

 

Tournament success 

It has been a fantastic year on the court, with Scottish athletes continuing to perform at the highest level. Stephen McGuire MBE, was at the top of the list of high performing athletes in becoming the men’s Individual BC4 European Champion.  

In true fashion, Stephen did it in style, as he was promoted from the group stage with only one loss. Stephen’s strong play and precision stayed with him throughout the quarter final, as he defeated Hungary’s Gergo Berkes 6 – 1. In the semifinal he came up against Boris Nicolai, from Germany. After a strong performance (winning 5-1), Stephen progressed to the final. 

In the final, Stephen came up against Paulo Cardoso of Portugal and saved his best performance until last, pulling off a convincing 7 – 0 victory. This great run of form helped solidify Stephen’s place as the top ranked men’s BC4 player in the world. 

Elsewhere, Alex Medley stormed his way onto the international boccia scene. After Alex became internationally classified as a BC1 athlete, his first call up to represent the Boccia UK team came at the Olbia boccia Challenger. 

At the 2025 iteration of the UK Boccia Championships, there was a strong Scottish presence. With a four strong Scottish contingent making the trip over to Antrim, Northern Ireland, for the last event of the year. 

The squad had a new feel to it, with a mixture of experienced athletes and some of Scotland’s most promising talent, combining to create a really exciting team. 

The playing squad was Stephen McGuire (BC4), Tyler McLelland (BC4), Fiona Muirhead (BC4) and Layla McCloskey (BC2). 

Every member of the squad put in a fantastic performance, showcasing their respective skillsets against the best in the UK. 

Fiona and Tyler got their campaigns started against each other and after a nail biting clash, Tyler came out on top. Following this, both Fiona and Tyler continued their campaigns by winning one match and losing another in the group stage. 

This saw Tyler qualify through to the semi finals, where he went up against fellow Scott, Stephen, who was in blistering form having gone unbeaten throughout the group stages. Stephen took the win over Tyler meaning that Stephen headed into the final with Tyler into the third place play off. 

In his final competitive match of the season, Tyler was up against Louis Saunders of England in the BC4 Bronze medal match. Tyler put in a fantastic performance, to return home with the bronze medal after winning 8 – 0. 

In the BC4 final, Stephen had tough opposition, in the form of England’s Sophie Newnham. This meant that the BC4 final would be one for the ages with both the men’s and women’s BC4 world number ones coming up against each other. In the end, Stephen was defeated 5 – 2, to take home the silver medal. 

Elsewhere at the championships, Layla made her Championship’s debut – only 12 months after she was there as a spectator – and what a championship the young BC2 player had. The girl from Glasgow continued to prove herself at the highest level, playing some phenomenal boccia against some of the very best. It was safe to say that she finished the championships with a flurry, with both of her final two matches going down to the final ball. Layla’s amazing debut felt even better after she won the second of these two matches, seeing her win her first ever match at a UK Championship. 

On a national level, boccia was delivered at every SDS Parasport Festivals – resulting in 298 participants having an opportunity to participate in the sport.  

The year also marked the successful return of the Women and Girl’s in Boccia Day, welcoming 23 female participants to experience the sport in a safe, supportive environment that encouraged confidence, and connection. 

Continuing the theme of returning events, Forth Valley Right On Track Boccia Club proudly hosted its first competition since the pandemic. It was a resounding success with entries reaching full capacity and players relishing the chance to compete once again.  

 

Sport for all 

In 2025, SDS has seen a significant rise in interest in boccia, with 503 registered players now taking part in 28 opportunities across 24 of Scotland’s 32 councils. 

Meanwhile, on the international stage, Scotland has continued to demonstrate strong representation, with a six-athlete contingent competing against the world’s best. Stephen McGuire (BC4), Patrick Wilson (BC3), Kayleigh Brown (BC2), Tyler McLelland (BC4), Fiona Muirhead (BC4), and Alex Medley (BC1) all seized the opportunity to test their skills against the best in the sport.  

West Dumbartonshire boccia club is at the heart of the grassroot community, working hard to attract new players by linking with local community groups and delivering taster sessions at sheltered housing. 

In the west of Scotland, The Milldale (a day centre for adults with a learning disability) has been working with SDS and OneRen to create inclusive opportunities to participate in the sport. A boccia league has been launched with The Milldale’s sister day centre, alongside other local charities to create a friendly and social competition that provides participants with an opportunity to gain both the physiological and psychological benefits. 

Following SDS’s partnership work with the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA), updates were made to the list of activities eligible for assessment for young people’s physical education qualification, from a National 3 through to Advanced Higher level. 

This partnership allowed pupils in 2024–25 to have their performance assessed in Paralympic sports like boccia, with 2025 marking a milestone as the first pupil completed a qualification. 

 

Looking to the future  

Following the success of the Women and Girl’s in Boccia Day, SDS have added new events to the calendar, including two ‘Family in Boccia Days’ (north and central).   

With boccia featured prominently throughout all SDS Parasport Festivals in 2025, six festivals are already planned across Scotland for 2026, offering even more opportunities to get involved and experience the sport.  

 

Find out more