Royal Air Force News Friday, December 26, 2025 P24
RAF Sport Review of the year 2025 2
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RAF DINGHY Racing celebrated its first-ever Inter-Service win in the Team Racing Championships at Bowmoor Sailing Club, Gloucester, beating the Army 2-1 in their three-race final clash.
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TWO TITANS of Service rugby STORMING 3-1 win saw the 1 1 union 1 AService’s bid adieu. polo stars start their season
The Service’s most capped player Flt Lt Dave Manning hung up his boots after the IS championship and women’s team coach WO John Wilding left the RAF.
A PERFECT 10 catches saw Cpl Loz 2 THE RAF finally scratched their 2 Howard take a first victory at the RAF seven-year IST20 itch, winning the
Carp Angling Association’s development event at Norton Disney.
title for the first time since 2018 at Lord’s with a crushing defeat of the Royal Navy.
THE SERVICE’S karting association 3 A FOUR-GOAL thriller and a 3 had a new star in its midst as Flt Lt penalty shoot-out saw UKAF’s
James Ling picked up the first Premier win of the season in Llandow, Wales. BACK-TO-BACK Inter-Services 4 wins was the reward for the RAF’s
duathlon men’s team at Thruxton Race Circuit, Andover on a bumper day for the association. The men’s team took all three podium spots, with first-placed Cpl Adam Baker reclaiming the Open Senior Male title he last won in 2023. The RAF Women’s team took a brilliant second place. A DOMINANT 45-13 victory saw 5 RAF Marham’s joint Service rugby
union team Marham Bulls/Lightning Force win the Navy Cup. The resounding win over HMS Queen Elizabeth (QNLZ) at Burnaby Road, Portsmouth was the culmination of several years of near misses for the team, made up of RAF/RN/Army and US Marines personnel.
women footballers secure back-to-back President’s Cup wins in Amsterdam over the Dutch Air Force. There was redemption for opening goal scorer AS1 Shaunna Jenkins, who, having missed the final spot kick to lose to the Dutch three years ago in Havant, stepped up to net the winning penalty. NEWS OF the first ever 4 biennial Tri-Nation’s rugby
league tournament between RAF and its Australian and New Zealand counterparts was announced.
THERE WAS double joy and a 5 tournament for the ages as RAF ice
hockey celebrated back-to-back InterService men’s and women’s titles in the championship’s 20th year.
with an opening IS victory over the Royal Navy to take the Duke of York’s Cup. The closely-fought match at Tedworth Park saw the RAF jump to a two-goal lead over the first couple of chukkas in their bid for the trophy, which has been fought for since 1928.
ARCHER SGT Ellie Spinks was on target for her first-ever National Tour stage win after a nail-biting finale in Barnsley. She emerged victorious in Stage 5 of the six-stage national event, beating Anastasia Wilson, the reigning queen of UK barebow archery.
AN NHC A Class 342 sailing first 2 was KNOCKOUT piece of Service the RAF’s reward from this 2 Aboxing history was made at RAF year’s Inter-Service’s Offshore Regatta on
Akrotiri as the station’s Officers’ Mess held the Solent. its first outdoor event under the lights. The eight-bout fight card featured RAF MEDALS GALORE was the return 3 for Select and Army Select boxers. RAF martial artists at the recent Inter-Service championships at HMS IT REALLY was third time lucky Nelson and HMS Temeraire, Portsmouth. 3 for WO Alex Lilley, after he was There was a first place in karate, with presented with The King’s Medal for five golds and two silvers, and a third in shooting by the Monarch at Windsor Brazilian jui jitsu – despite winning eight Castle in July. golds, 14 silvers and nine bronze medals. The RAF hotshot had already won the prestigious gong in 2016 and 2018, THE RAF’S men’s road cycling but didn’t get a visit to a royal palace on 4 team became history makers taking either occasion. their first Open title at the Inter-Service Road Race Championships in Yorkshire. THERE WAS a hat-trick of RAF Second and third place finishes for Sgt 4 waterskiing championship wins for Rich Summerbell (Brize) and AS1 James Flt Lt Jack Jardine at Queensford Lakes in Bunting (Fylingdales) were enough to Oxford. seal the race. WAS the return fight of his 5 AN 11-MINUTE time gap secured 5 IT dreams after injury as the Service’s a stunning victory for AS1 Thomas
only professional boxer, Cpl Brad Axe, Stegeman at the 2025 cross-country Interlanded a unanimous defeat of Sam Kirk Service cycling course in Wales. at London’s York Hall.
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