LUKE McCormack and Kiaran McDonald will aim to become two-time national champions when the England Boxing Elite National Championships 2017 take place this weekend at the Magna Centre in Rotherham.

Sunderland’s McDonald will defend the light-flyweight title he won last year. Light-welterweight, McCormack, from Birtley, aims to become a two-weight national champion by adding to the lightweight crown he won in 2015.

The pair are both part of the GB Boxing squad that trains in Sheffield and head-up a healthy contingent of North-East boxers taking part in the finals weekend.

Middlesbrough’s Muzzy Fuyana and Zara Johnson, High Fell’s Jeff Neesham, Birtley’s Tom Hodgson, Ben Rees and Joe Laws, Sunderland’s Travis Waters, Spennymoor’s Gary Dodds, East Durham’s Adam Gair, Empire’s Michael Webster, North Star’s Courtney Cliff, Wellington’s Jade Pearce, Bishop Auckland’s Hannah Robinson and North Shields’ Hannah Sheild will be involved.

McDonald, 19, said: “I have had some tough international tournaments this year and have medalled in all of them. Being full-time with GB Boxing, and sparring and training with the best in the country on a daily basis, has really helped me to develop.

“I am feeling confident and going in there as the reigning elite champion can only be a good thing. I do not have any rivals outside the ring but when I am in there I have a job to do.

“To win again and become a two-time champion would mean everything to me and my club. The Elite finals are the biggest thing in the clubs calendar so I would like to go out there and win my second senior elite title before I am 20.”

McCormack, 21, is part of GB Boxing’s elite Podium squad and comes into the tournament having recently returned from a gold medal winning campaign at the European U22 Championships in Romania.

He said: “I have just moved up a (weight) division, so I have been lifting a lot of weights and eating steaks. I am preparing myself as if I would for any major tournament. There is a bit of pressure going in as number one seed, but I am very confident that I am going to be the number one seed coming out and my goal is to not lose one round in the whole tournament.

“Longer term, I want to establish myself as the number one at my weight in the GB Boxing squad and then secure selection for this year’s European and World Championships and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.”

There are 156 boxers due to take part in the Championships which will see 19 boxers crowned a champion. The men’s competition will be held over 11 weight categories as a new Cruiserweight (86kg) category has been added for 2017. The women’s competition will be held over eight weight classes.