A MAJOR boxing tournament between two British Army combat units is set to take place on Thursday evening.

The clash between the Royal Lancers and the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh will be held at the Royal Lancers’ base in Cambrai Lines, Munster Barracks in Catterick Garrison.

The meet between the two 12 Armoured Infantry Brigade units is the first of its kind in 30 years and promises to be an exciting match.

“It’s going to be a big dust up of 2016,” said Staff Sergeant Tony Davis, from Newcastle, the organiser of the event. “The boys are ready, they’re fit and there’s going to be some great sport.”

The Royal Lancers, an armoured reconnaissance unit, have just returned from spending two weeks over Christmas and New Year sandbagging flood affected areas in the North.

Lieutenant James Parker said: “It’s amazing to think that these guys were waist deep in water over Christmas, are keeping up with their regular military training, and training for the boxing.”

The match takes place on the same day as one of the Royal Lancer’s battle honours, the battle of Aliwal, fought exactly 170 years ago.

There are expected to be several VIPs attending, including Ross ‘The Boss’ Burkinshaw, the North’s WBO Bantamweight champion, and Tasif Khan, 32, who is fighting for the vacant WBU super flyweight against Ghanaian Isaac Quaye in his home town of Bradford on Saturday, February 6.

Last year, Amir Khan, the two time former world champion came to watch the matches and said, “I’ve been to many boxing events across the country, but this is some of the best I’ve seen.”