THEY may be far from home but that has done nothing to dampen the sporting prowess of soldiers from the region.

For the second year The Green Howards are the Army's Northern Ireland boxing champions.

It is the first time any battalion has won the competition in successive years - and again they beat the Royal Irish Regiment to take the title.

The nine-strong boxing team from the 1st Battalion The Green Howards are from North Yorkshire and Teesside. Their success in the Northern Ireland championship means that the team is in the semi-final of the national Army competition next month.

The match took place on the Green Howards home ground at in Ballykelly, where they have been based for the last two years.

They move to a new posting in Chepstow, Wales, later this month.