Too young for Paralympics - but now she's world number one

A teenager from Surbiton who was too young to qualify for the Paris Paralympic Games by just 11 days has become the world number one in the sport of boccia.

Sophie Newnham is now world number one in boccia

Sophie Newnham is 17 years old and her rapid climb up the rankings is one of the fastest ever recorded in the sport, according to Boccia UK. It comes as Sophie – who is aiming to compete at the LA Paralympic Games in 2028 – has made the shortlist for the UK Sport PLX Awards which takes place on 2 December. The Athlete Award recognises the athlete who has had the biggest turnaround or breakthrough in the last year.

It’s certainly been a busy 2025 in which the teenager has medalled at every tournament she has entered. She is fresh from returning home from the Coimbra World Cup in which she not only won gold in the individual BC4 women’s event – but in the Pairs event too with team-mate Stephen McGuire MBE, who won Paralympic gold in 2024.

Sophie discovered boccia in PE lessons at Treloars School. It wasn’t long before she started competing at tournaments, winning a silver medal at her first ever UK Championships.

On the news, Sophie said:

“I’m really pleased to end the year as world number one, having started the year at the number nine spot. It’s putting me in a strong position ahead of next year. In the Pair, with Stephen, we finish the year as third in the world and Stephen as world number one. This is really exciting for us as we start to prepare for the World Championships in Seoul.”

sophie newnham won gold with stephen mcguire at european championships

Not only has Sophie excelled on the boccia court but she has also juggled training and competing with studying A-levels and starting university 12 months early.

Mum Kathryn said:

“She is fuelled by this great travelling adventure with tournaments all over the world and what makes it even more meaningful is that she experiences it with her brother, Jamie, who is also her coach. It feels like a family journey and we’re delighted to be along for ride!”

She made her senior debut 18 months ago in Zagreb and she returned to the city last summer where she won gold in the Pairs and bronze individually at the European Championships.

Performance Director Greg Baker explained:

“It’s been a massive highlight for all of us at Boccia UK to see Sophie go from strength to strength and she has certainly earned her world number one spot, bursting onto the international circuit as a senior and defeating established, highly ranked players. Despite her massive breakthrough this year, Sophie remains extremely level-headed and is always looking to develop further. Her tactical skills are a sheer joy to watch and we can’t wait to see what she does next.”

Sophie is on the Boccia UK World Class Programme and receives National Lottery funding from UK Sport. She is also supported by Get Kids Going! – a charity which supports disabled children and young people in sport.

GB end on a high in Coimbra

After 15 months out of boccia competition due to health reasons, Edinburgh’s Patrick Wilson certainly made a comeback at the Coimbra World Cup, winning gold in the individual and silver in the Pairs event.

Before travelling to Portugal, Boccia UK deliberately did not discuss performance goals with the Scottish BC3 player, instead focussing on simply being able to compete internationally again.

Coach Glynn Tromans explains:

“Patrick’s results and performances were exceptional, but it was even more rewarding to see him on an international boccia court again, demonstrating his tactical supremacy and resilience.”

wilson makes boccia comeback

In his two pool matches, Wilson – with ramp operator Meredith Greenwood – saw victory and defeat. Into the knockout rounds, he triumphed over Gabriele Zendron of Italy 4-2, Diogo Castro of Portugal cast 3-1 before going up against South Korea’s Jon Ho Kwon in the final and winning 5-3.

Wilson and Greenwood went on to win silver in the BC3 Pairs event with Sally Kidson and her ramp operator, Chloe Lewis. The duo saw off South Korea, Italy and Sweden but lost to Poland in the pool matches before dominating the semi-final over Greece 7-1. Wilson found himself once again in a final with South Korea, but losing 2-3 to win silver.

it was silver in the pairs for wilson and kidson, supported by chloe lewis and meredith greenwood

Wilson was in reflective mood after the double win:

“When I’m on the boccia court, I think of those who have supported me or that I’ve played with or have coached me. Some of them are no longer with us and some are. These medals are for them.”

Wilson and Kidson were not the only British athletes to get on the medal table. 17-year old Sophie Newnham continued her rapid rise up the world rankings, winning gold. That makes it eight medals from eight international opportunities this season and Boccia UK is now eagerly awaiting the latest update to the world rankings as she is expected to move upwards from her current world number four position.

Newnham, from Surbiton, then joined Stephen McGuire in winning gold in the BC4 Pairs. Together, they have made a huge impact on the Pairs competition winning every tournament entered in 2025.

Newnham explained:

“I’ve enjoyed a really successful season, medalling in eight out of eight opportunities. I’m really pleased as I’ve had a challenging couple of months with starting university in September and learning how to balance this with training. Steph and I have also won gold in all of the Pairs competitions we’ve played together this year. It’s an amazing achievement for us and it’s exciting that there’s still so much more to build on.”

McGuire also took a bronze in the individual BC4 men’s event. This season, the Paralympic gold medallist has notched up six medals from seven events which included double gold at the European Championships.

But McGuire from Hamilton says there is only one highlight:

“Competing with super Sophie Newnham and winning all our Pairs events has been a standout achievement and reflects the hard work behind the scenes. We’ve qualified for the Worlds next year and we now look to building on the foundations we’ve been able to set in 2025.”

mcguire and newnham continue winning streak

Sally Kidson remained undefeated in the pool matches but was knocked out of the individual competition at the quarter final stage by Portugal’s Joana Pereira.

Louis Saunders just missed out on progressing through to the knockout rounds, having clocked up two victories from three pool matches. Meanwhile, Reshad Saraj gathered essential experience, beating semi-finallist Minkyu Kwak of South Korea.

Season to close in Coimbra

It’s the final World Cup of the boccia season. Great Britain heads to Portugal for the Coimbra World Cup, fielding a six-strong team.

Paralympic Champion Stephen McGuire leads the charge. As reigning world number one, he’ll be aiming for the podium top spot to finish the season on a high, ahead of next year’s World Championships.

Paralympic champion stephen mcguire to close 2025 boccia season in coimbra

“Individually, we travel to Portugal with two European Champions and a strong squad of six athletes. We’re going into Coimbra with positive momentum and hope to finish with strong performances before winter preparations begins for the World Championships next year.

He will also team up with teenage sensation Sophie Newnham in the BC4 Pairs. The Surbiton 17-year-old has rocketed up the rankings this year into the world number four spot. A good performance in Coimbra could see her launch herself into the top three.

McGuire adds, “Sophie and I have won every competition this season so we’re feeling really positive. It’s a real joy to play with Sophie – she is an extremely accurate and precise player. She has the ability to secure angles like no one else I’ve ever seen before in the British squad. She is a very intelligent player; tactically very astute. Her delivery is wonderful to watch and she’s still just 17 years old.”

teenage boccia star sophie newnham now ranked in world top four

It’s also worth keeping an eye on Louis Saunders. The Bognor Regis born athlete – who juggles full-time work – joins McGuire in the BC4 classification and currently ranks 14th in the world:

“It’s been a great challenge to manage work and boccia, training evenings and weekends, and I really appreciate all the efforts of my coach Lauren to come up and train with me. I’m also really lucky to have Sophie as a training partner. 

british boccia star louis saunders has had best season so far in 2025

“Hopefully, Coimbra will be the icing on the cake of what’s been my most successful season yet, after finishing in the top eight at the European Championships and winning a silver medal at the last World Cup in Curitiba. Lauren and I are looking to build on that to finish the season on a high.”

European Champion Sally Kidson – now world number eight – is set to face tough opposition from South Korea with Yejin Choi leading the field.

sally kidson, european champion, heads to coimbra

Patrick Wilson is also set to make a return while Reshad Saraj – just inside the world’s top 15 – will be aiming to finish the season with a flourish. But top talents from Indonesia, Slovakia and no doubt the home nation make this a tough classification.

patrick wilson back on the boccia court

reshad saraj aims to finish boccia season on a high

Performance Director Greg Baker says:

“It’s the final World Cup of the season in a year which has seen some outstanding results for our British athletes. At the Europeans earlier this year, we achieved a record-breaking medal haul with four gold medals, two bronze and we topped the medal table.

“We’re looking to build on those results, continuing the strong momentum into this season-closer before we head into winter training. We know what we’ve got to work on to come out even stronger next year as we build towards the World Championships.”

Penny just misses out on medal in Olbia

 British boccia player Penny Froude returns home from the Olbia Challenger with a confidence boost, having finished fourth in the BC4 category.

Having beaten the tournament’s fourth seed Natasa Bartol of Slovenia 4-3, she then lost to top seed Alexandra Szabo1-8 before a final pool match win over Renata Busettini  of Italy 9-2. Into the semi-final, Froude  lost to Anita  Raguwaran of Germany 2-4 and missed out on bronze to Anamaria Arambasic 3-5:

“I’m really pleased with my results. I was so close to a medal which is frustrating but I had great exposure to some top athletes and it was so valuable to watch them and also play them. This is the best way to learn and helps you to gauge your position on the international circuit.”

penny froude finishes fourth at olbia world boccia challenger 2025

Froude is now armed with plenty of learnings for the winter training season:

“I have some things to work on that came to light but boccia is a continuous journey of learning gained from experiences like internationals, but also tweaking and improving things. I’m certainly feeling more confident.”

Scottish boccia player Alex Medley will also be beaming, having represented Great Britain for the first time.

Ahead of the tournament, Medley was classified as a BC1 player and he went on to make it all the way to the quarter-finals where he met world no 9 Abdulaziz Alzahrani from Saudi Arabia. Earlier, in the pool matches, the X-year old defeated Italy’s Riccardo Zanella 5-1 and Martin Frkovic of Croatia 8-2.

“The main purpose of going to Olbia was to gain classification but I did want to win an end,” said Medley. “So, to top my group and have a tight game with a world top ten player was well above my expectations. This gave me a lot of confidence that I can be competitive in the BC1 category.”

Head Coach Rikki Bingham said:

“Originally, we couldn’t get many spaces for the Olbia tournament. We were always sending Tyler McLelland to be reclassified but then, six weeks before, we were invited to send more players.

“Knowing that World Boccia had a panel of classifiers there, we seized the opportunity to send Alex so that he too could be classified. The fact that he performed so well was a real bonus. He is somebody that we can see shows a lot of potential and has a strategic mindset in the way that he plays.”

Olbia was also an important tournament for Sally Kidson who teamed up with a brand-new ramp operator, Chloe Lewis. It was the pair’s first tournament and a useful test ahead of the World Cup in Coimbra next month.

Together, they reached the playoffs, losing on tiebreak to Mathilde Troude of France.

There was good news for Tyler McLelland who was reclassified as a BC4 player and, like Alex, was observed in competition.

The Scot was unable to escape the pool matches, losing to Ariel Veksler 1-6 and Antonio Sarsanki 4-6.

Fiona Muirhead was denied a spot in the knockout rounds too. Having lost her first two pool matches, she finished on a win over France’s Rachel Bujadinovic.

Robyn retires

British boccia player Robyn McBride has announced her retirement from the GB squad.

The BC3 athlete from Antrim in Northern Ireland - who has clocked up medals from World Boccia tournaments all over the world - has made the decision so she can spend more time with friends and family.

robyn mcbride announces her boccia retirement

The 26-year-old has won international medals, both individually and in the Pairs event and reached the knockout stages of the European Championships in 2023.

Robyn climbed inside the top 16 of the world rankings and looks fondly back at her time, representing Britain:

“Winning gold in the Pairs with Matt Berry at the Poznan World Boccia Challenger 2024 - after too many tie breaks that I care to remember and having only being paired together at a training camp in Largs just before the competition - is a standout memory for me. 

“Winning my first international medals - a bronze in the individuals and then a silver alongside Will Arnott - in Veldhoven also hold great memories for me and a huge sense of pride.”

But she is now looking forward to a well-earned break:

“I’m not sure what the future holds for me yet but I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and friends, going on holidays and staying at our family caravan on the north coast more.

“I do feel mixed emotions about stepping away from the squad. I have built strong friendships with many people in the team who I will miss dearly, however I am looking forward to having a bit more time on my hands!”

robyn steps away from boccia uk’s world class programme

Robyn also added that boccia has helped shape her as a person:

“Playing boccia has given me so much confidence and determination. I find I now challenge myself to try day-to-day tasks which I never dreamt I could do before independently. Boccia has also improved my social skills as I find it easier now speaking to others and developing friendships.

“I would like to give a special thanks to Glynn Tromans, my coach. His guidance, support and patience has been exceptional and I have learnt so much from him. Also, I would like to thank my Dad who has given up so much of his time to be my Ramp Operator, supporting me at training camps and tournaments all over the world.”

Boccia UK Performance Coach Glynn Tromans, who has worked with Robyn since joining the World Class Programme, said:

“Robyn had been on our radar for a number of years before she joined us in 2022. She was an absolute joy to have in the squad. Alongside her Dad and Ramp Operator, Davy, her adaptability and willingness to step up and get things done was best demonstrated in the Pairs event, where - at various times - she played alongside Jamie McCowan, Patrick Wilson, Will Arnott and Matt Berry, taking gold alongside Matt at a World Boccia Challenger in Poland.

“I have loved working with Robyn and her family, and witnessing both her growth as a player, and confidence as a person develop over the last four years.”

Greg Baker, Boccia UK’s Performance Director:

“Robyn has been a real asset to the squad and we are all so proud of all that she has achieved. Reaching the world’s top 16 in a sport that is so highly strategic is no mean feat and she has represented Great Britain, and Northern Ireland, so brilliantly. We will miss her but wish her well in whatever comes next.”

New face in GB kit in Olbia

Great Britain’s boccia players are packing their bags once again and this time, they’re headed to Olbia in Italy.

reigning european champion sally kidson squares up for olbia

Action gets underway from Wednesday 8 October and we’ll see a new face in the GB kit.

Alex Medley, 20, from Perthshire has been given a call-up and will go through classification ahead of the tournament.

He has been competing for the Scotland squad for the last two years and is coached by Peter McGuire. He has been training alongside the likes of Stephen McGuire and Patrick Wilson at Stirling University.

Medley said:

“I’m really excited to compete in Olbia. I know many of the squad already from training and competing on the domestic circuit. There’s no pressure on me in this competition so I’m just looking forward to soaking up the experience.”

He will be joined in Italy by European Champion Sally Kidson. It will be the first competition for Bristol University music student since she teamed up with new ramp assistant, Chloe Lewis.

Fiona Muirhead and Penny Froude will also feature in the BC4 category.

Steph and Sophie win gold

Great Britain’s boccia squad is coming home from the Seoul World Cup in a jubilant mood after Stephen McGuire and Sophie Newnham won gold in the BC4 Pairs. It’s the first World Cup gold medal for Britain in the BC4 Pairs event since 2018.

In the individuals, David Smith OBE added a silver to the GB haul while Sophie Newnham added bronze to her collection.

The team settling into seoul

The gold in Seoul is the latest triumph for the McGuire and Newnham partnership. Already this season, they have become European Champions.

The result will surely be an essential recce for the World Championships, which will be held in the same Seoul venue next year.

McGuire explained:

“We came to South Korea to play the best in the world, to learn valuable lessons on and off court prior to next year’s World Championships. We played well and the results went our way. It’s back to back golds for us and, as a new pair, it’s really exciting to see where Sophie and I can get to.”

Newnham – who is 17 years old and is expected to climb into the world’s top ten female BC4 players – said:

“I’m over the moon to have won two medals in Korea. I had a shaky start to the week and wasn’t playing my best boccia but I slowly got back to where I wanted to be. Winning the bronze in the individuals gave me momentum going into the Pairs with Stephen.

“It’s been super helpful to compete in this venue where the World Championships will take place next year, It was also good to play the Asian athletes who I’ve not played before. They sometimes play a different style of game, and it was invaluable experience ahead of next year.”

sophie wins gold in the pairs and bronze in the individuals

David Smith OBE – who is enjoying a great run of form – was able to clinch silver.

david smith obe wins silver in seoul

Meeting Muhamed Syafa in the final, it was the first clash between the BC1 competitors since the Indonesian beat Smith in the Paris Paralympic Games bronze medal match:

“I’m disappointed I couldn’t quite replicate my semi-final levels but sometimes that’s just how the balls run and Muhamed was a bit too good today. But there were more positives than negatives this week – ahead of the final, I was able to score freely on my ends and playing how I want to. There are a few valuable lessons ahead of the Worlds next year. I’ll continue to find improvements for this coming winter training period.”

British boccia stars eye World Cup glory in Seoul tune-up for 2026

 British boccia stars compete in Korea this week and Paralympic gold medallist Stephen McGuire is using it as essential preparation for next year’s World Championships.

The Seoul World Cup kicks off Wednesday 3 September – and as it’s taking place in the same venue as the World Championships next year, it’s a crucial rehearsal.

stephen mcguire and sophie newnham team up for bc4 pairs

Stephen McGuire MBE and David Smith OBE – who were both crowned individual European Championships this summer – will be joined by Sophie Newnham, all competing individually before McGuire and Newnham team up for the BC4 Pairs event.

McGuire from Hamilton in Scotland said:

“My primary focus is on the Pairs. We qualified for our spot at the European Championships by winning gold in July so now our challenge is to improve our world ranking and to gain exposure to the best Pairs internationally. This will be the first time since last year that Sophie and I would have been at the same competition as the Paralympic Games medallists from Paris so it’s an opportunity to gauge where we are. We can work out any gaps in our performance and work on those through the winter months in preparation for the world championships next year.”

Newnham is also looking forward to the challenge ahead:

“Obviously, at every World Cup, I need to focus on my world ranking which will help my seeding for the World Championships next year but South Korea will be the first time I’m exposed to many of the really competitive Asian nations. Although my previous results this season show I’m well set up for this competition, this one is massively about playing new opponents, learning from their style and seeing how I compare to their standards so I’m very excited to be up against new competitors.”

David Smith will be aiming to cement his position at the top of the BC1 category. Following the Europeans, he said:

boccia’s david smith obe back on top after winning european gold

“The new chair felt good, the seat worked well and the new balls were fine. There’s still stuff to work on but it’s a good starting point and it shows I’m heading in the right direction.”

GB in record-breaking medal haul at Euros

Great Britain’s boccia stars are heading home from the European Championships with a record-breaking medal haul.

Celebrating four gold medals and two bronze, the squad has clocked up its most successful medal haul at the tournament. Great Britain also top the medal table.

Stephen McGuire continues his gold medal winning form from the Paris Paralympic Games, having secured top honours in the individual BC4 category and winning gold in the BC4 Pairs with teenage newcomer Sophie Newnham, who is just 17-years-old.

mcguire and newnham on way to winning gold

Britain’s best ever boccia player David Smith OBE proved he is once again to beat. Having missed out on a medal in Paris, Smith has been working to switch up equipment and technique. Meanwhile,  20-year-old Sally Kidson won her first ever major title as she and ramp assistant Connor Wellfare took gold in the BC3 event.

McGuire on fire

“To come to Zagreb and get double gold at the European Championships is something I’ve never achieved before. To come away with this trophy with Sophie (Newnham) is the icing on the cake and we of course have qualified for the World Championships.

“The tournament has been fantastic for Great Britain,” added McGuire. “To come away with four golds and two bronzes is a terrific haul. Personally, to win two gold medals at my first major event off the back of Paris is more than I thought possible.”

Smith is back

The Swansea talent was denied the European title in 2023, forcing to settle for silver, but he was back on top in Zagreb, reclaiming his European crown.

“I’m feeling really good about the European gold – it was a good tournament for me. It’s nice to be back on the winning step, having not won a final at a majors for a little while. It’s felt good to get a big title under my belt again,” he said.

Smith, who is ranked world number two, said:

smith is back on top

“I felt like I had a good balance in my play. I was scoring heavily, taking chances, being clinical when I got in. There were a few things I could have done a bit better but overall it was positive. The new chair felt good, the seat worked and the new balls were fine. There’s still stuff to work on but it’s a good starting point and it shows I’m heading in the right direction,” he added.

Kidson secures first title

On winning her first major title, twenty- year-old Sally Kidson from Salisbury said:

“I didn’t have much confidence in the earlier rounds,” explains Kidson, who competed at the Paris Paralympic Games last summer. “My first game was a lot tighter than I’d have liked it to have been but once the games got going, I was able to get three wins over the line to top the group.

sally kidson claims first major title

“In my quarter finals, the nerves were immense but I just about managed it again. From there on, it was about riding the momentum and, after winning the semi-final 6-1, I felt very confident going into the final.”

Kidson, in fact, caused a huge upset. Ranked world number 15, she faced reigning campion Sonia Heckel of France in the final showdown. Ranked world number four, Kidson triumphed 3-2.

The result was even more poignant for the Salisbury star, following the death of her boccia pairs partner Will Arnott last December:

“It’s very special to me to be able to achieve something like this after the passing of Will seven months ago. We actually began our Pairs partnership at the Europeans in in 2023 so it’s a special tournament for me.”

Teenage talent is double medallist

Surbiton teenager Sophie Newnham continues her rise up the ranks of the Paralympic sport of boccia this week, becoming European Champion in the BC4 Pairs with Stephen McGuire. She also won a bronze in the individuals.

The 17-year-old is certainly making an impression on the sport, beating world top ten players:

“I’m really, really happy to come to my first major competition – my first European Championships – and to win two medals is an amazing result for me. I’m just glad to have had Steph by my side to achieve that.”

sophie newnham making her mark on boccia

Ahead of the competition, McGuire said:

“Sophie’s awesome – she is an extremely accurate and precise player. She has the ability to secure angles like no one else I’ve ever seen before in the British squad. She is a very intelligent player; tactically very astute. Her delivery is wonderful to watch and she’s still just 17 years old.”

Mum to be Kayleigh wins bronze

Kayleigh Brown (nee Haggo) of Ayr - who is six months pregnant – won bronze in the BC2 category.

"Finishing my last competition before maternity on a high is a good place to be. Being six months pregnant came with some challenges but I'm really pleased with how I was able to adapt this week and push through, even when I've felt exhausted at times.

“My biggest achievement at this competition was not only winning a bronze medal but beating the Paris Paralympic Champion in the quarter finals. Christina (Goncalves of Portugal) is an amazing boccia player so i was excited to play her and it's great to know that I can perform and beat the best in the world.

"I'm not sure what's next for me in boccia but for now I'm focussing on family and my husband Kevin and I can't wait to meet our baby boy in October."

The future is bright, says Baker

Boccia UK Performance Director Greg Baker was delighted with the results:

“Not only have we finished top of the medal table which is a huge achievement to beat nations like Portugal, but we’ve also notched up our best-ever performance at a Europeans. For me, it was fantastic to see three athletes coming through and winning major medals for the first time - Sally Kidson, Sophie Newnham and Kayleigh Brown. The entire squad should be very proud of what’s been achieved. Those athletes who haven’t medalled have put in some solid performances and can be built on as we gather momentum in this Paralympic cycle.”

Boccia star Claire Taggart announces retirement

World Champion Claire Taggart has announced her retirement from boccia.

The three-time Paralympian from Larne in Northern Ireland has made the decision after 11 years representing Great Britain.

claire taggart retires after 11 years competing at the highest levels of boccia

The 30 year old competed at the Rio, Tokyo and Paris Paralympic Games and won the World Championships in 2022.

But Claire – who was very open about struggling with the weight of expectation in the lead up to Paris - said:

“After a lot of soul searching and struggling with my mental health for years, I have made the decision to retire from boccia. Elite sport is somewhat extraordinary in nature - travelling the world, competing on the biggest stages and making friends with your rivals all over the globe.”

She added:

“However, there are other aspects – the overwhelming pressure to perform, the amount of travel and time away from home, but mostly - the overarching singular hyperfocus on one thing – boccia. Being an elite athlete means experiencing the extremes of emotions, the difficulty of separating your performance from your self-worth, and the difficulty of knowing when it’s time to stop.”

Between 2021 and 2024, Taggart won a medal at every single event she entered, before she finished fourth in Paris. As part of the BC1/2 Team, she also claimed a silver medal at the World Championships in 2022 alongside David Smith OBE and Will Hipwell.

“I used to wake up every day excited to go to training, to work ridiculously hard and to sacrifice everything in the pursuit of medals,” explained Claire. “I don’t feel that way anymore. I’ve spent the last nine months working on my mental health, with the support of my parents, medical professionals and close friends. With the right support and therapy, I am starting to feel better than I have in years, with real ambitions and life goals away from a boccia court.”

Explaining that she has struggled with her mental health since she was a teenager, she encouraged others in a similar situation to reach out for support and for friends and family to check in others:

“I would encourage people to check in with their friends, colleagues, family and neighbours. Say that you’ve noticed they aren’t themselves and would they like to talk. You might help someone to realise that they don’t have to struggle alone.”

claire taggart announces her retirement from boccia

She added: “I am so grateful to have gained so many friends throughout my 11 years at Boccia UK. I am also grateful of the support I have received from my coach Glynn, who has helped me through the whirlwind years of 2021-2024. Without my parents, I would have achieved nothing. With their dedication and support, I was able to train, travel and compete, and I think it’s about time they had an actual retirement. I’d also like to thank the British Elite Athletes Association (BEAA) for their unwavering support and guidance over the last five months.”

Boccia UK Performance Director Greg Baker said:

“Claire is an exceptionally talented boccia player and has achieved so much in her career. To represent Great Britain at three Paralympic Games, become World Champion, and amass medals from World Cups in the way she has is really incredible. We will all miss her but we fully understand Claire’s ambitions to navigate a new future and we wish her well.

“We also admire Claire’s honesty in sharing her mental health struggles and we would encourage anyone that is struggling to seek support, which is available through the Athlete Medical Scheme as part of the World Class Programme. We will continue to work closely with BEAA, UK Sport and ParalympicsGB to ensure athletes continue to have access to this support.”

Glynn Tromans – Boccia UK Performance Coach, and personal coach to Claire since Tokyo 2021, added:

“I have loved working with Claire. She is always engaging, with a sharp, cutting wit and honesty that always puts a smile on my face. Our differing perspectives on life gave us balance and brought huge success on the field of play. Claire has made many friends around the world, and like me, they will all miss her on the boccia court.”

Claire has also announced the launch of her own business – Think Accessible; a consultancy working primarily with live music venues and festivals to make the industry more accessible to people within Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse communities.

Smith and McGuire lead Euros campaign

 British boccia legends David Smith OBE and Stephen McGuire MBE lead a nine-strong team to the European Championships in Zagreb which starts 10 July.

It is twenty years since the duo first made their international debuts at the 2005 edition of the European Championships, held in Povoa.

david smith en route to winning gold at the 2021 european championships

In fact, Smith has secured a medal at every Europeans since that debut while McGuire has appeared on every Europeans podium since 2009. In Zagreb, the aim will be to bag a qualifying spot for the 2026 World Championships in the Team and Pairs events by finishing in the top three.

McGuire will be joined by teenage sensation Sophie Newnham in the BC4 Pairs. Still just 17 years old, he is full of praise for the up and coming star from Surbiton:

Stephen mcguire won bronze at the 2023 para european championships and a silver in the pairs with fiona muirhead

“Sophie’s awesome – she is an extremely accurate and precise player. She has the ability to secure angles like no one else I’ve ever seen before in the British squad. She is a very intelligent player; tactically very astute. Her delivery in wonderful to watch and she’s still just 17 years old.”

Great Britain failed to qualify in the BC4 Pairs for the Paris Paralympics so McGuire says they’re playing catch up in this cycle:

sophie newnham to compete at her first europeans

“The new Games cycle gives us the opportunity to build towards the World Championships and then hopefully the LA Paralympics in 2028.”

Meanwhile, David Smith will have his eye on reclaiming his European crown. In 2023, the Europeans – for the first time – became part of a multi-sport event which switched up traditional boccia competition formats in favour of staging medal matches on outdoor, audience-friendly courts.

It was here that Daniel Perez – who recently announced his retirement – delighted his home crowds in Rotterdam by finally ending Smith’s dominance at the Europeans. After three consecutive gold medals, Britain’s best boccia player was finally denied the top spot and forced to settle for silver:

“I’m there to win obviously. And I’m going in as top seed but I’ve been making some pretty major changes to my game since Paris, and been mixing things up a bit. I have a new set of balls, a new boccia chair and I’m slightly adjusting my playing style. It all feels good at the moment but I haven’t yet tested these things out in competition so Zagreb will be interesting.”

He will of course switch to the Team event after the individuals and he will join forces with Kayleigh Brown and Reshad Saraj.

Brown, meanwhile, announced in April that she is expecting a baby. After the Europeans, she is set to take a break from the boccia court to focus on family.

robyn mcbride set to compete at her second europeans

The Great Britain squad also features BC3 players Robyn McBride and Sally Kidson. Unfortunately, the squad will not be fielding a BC3 Pair in Zagreb as it has been mutually agreed by Boccia UK and Patrick Wilson that it is not in his best health interests to fly overseas currently. But Boccia UK is working closely with the Edinburgh player and looks forward to seeing him back on court soon.

And in the BC4s, Louis Saunders and Fiona Muirhead will also be aiming to impress.

The team will be:

David Smith BC1

Kayleigh Haggo BC2

Reshad Saraj BC2

Sally Kidson BC3

Robyn McBride BC3

Stephen McGuire BC4

Sophie Newnham BC4

Fiona Muirhead BC4

Louis Saunders BC4

BC1/2 Team - David Smith, Reshad Saraj, Kayleigh Brown

BC4 Pair - Sophie Newnham & Stephen McGuire

Sophie secures stunning silver

Teenage boccia talent Sophie Newnham from Surbiton is set to continue her climb up the world rankings after winning silver at the 2025 Poznan Challenger at the weekend.

Currently sitting in number 11 spot of female BC4 players, her winning ways at the weekend certainly keep her on course for a place inside the top ten.

Sophie newnham wins silver in poznan

Newnham started strong with a 7-1 win over Foteini Bouiou of Greece, before a 2-4 defeat to USA’s Cassie Mitchell. But she bounced back brilliantly in the semi-final to claim a 5-3 victory over Greece’s Chrysi Morfi Metzou, who is ranked world number 10.

Into the final, she faced a tough match and was defeated 1-5 by Karla Manuel Enriquez who remained undefeated throughout the entire tournament.

Newnham said:

“This week was really tough but I really enjoyed playing against two new players from the Americas. I think it’s a great start for me in the LA Paralympic cycle and a good result ahead of the upcoming tournaments.”

sophie newnham with brother and coach, jamie

There were mixed results for Louis Saunders. Securing a first round triumph over Turkey’s Mahmut Unal, he suffered narrow, one point defeats to Jajub Wojcik of Poland and Blaz Adamlje of Slovenia. He was unable to make it into the knock out rounds but ended on a high, taking a tie-break win over Czech Republic’s Ondrej Kaas.

Penny Froude – who has just joined Boccia’s Talent Transition Squad – was all about gaining experience in Poznan. And she did just that, showing strong form in her BC4 clashes. Her first round resulted in a close defeat to eventual winner Karla Manuel Enriquez and she was also able to claim a couple of points off world top ten player Chrysi Morfi Metzou who beat Froude 5-2.

British BC4s in Poznan action

It’s all about the BC4s next week as Great Britain’s boccia squad head to Poznan for the next World Boccia Challenger event.

The Polish tournament starts on Wednesday 25 June and will see four BC4 players battle it out for the podium.

Louis Saunders is the most established player in the contingent. He says:

“I’m very excited to be heading to Poland next week for my first international competition of the LA 2028 cycle. We’ve got a great group of BC4s competing and I’m looking forward to seeing them all do well.

louis saunders heads to poznan

“This competition should provide a fantastic opportunity to deliver what I’ve been working on since missing out on qualification for the Paris Paralympics and serve as useful preparation for the fast-approaching European Championships. I can’t wait to get out there and have an enjoyable and successful competition.”

Teenager Sophie Newnham will also be aiming to impress. She joined Boccia UK’s World Class programme in 2024. She is 17 years old and has just completed her A-levels, yet has already amassed medals at major events; the highlight to date a silver medal at the Povoa World Cup where she beat the world number two.

“Poznan’s my first competition if 2025 so I’m looking forward to getting back into it after almost a year since my last international.”

sophie newnham is back in action

While Penny Froude who has recently joined Boccia UK’s Talent Transition Squad will also be competing:

“I’m looking forward to gaining experience as I’m new to the international circuit. In training, I’ve been ooking forward to putting into practice a lot of processes I’ve been working in training since being in transition squad, making improvements in some areas and see if it enhances the game. Big changes to how I throw, position myself in the chair, looking forward to putting training into competition.”

penny froude looking to gain experience

Tyler McLelland, 19, completes the line up. He is also part of the Talent Transition Squad:

“It looks a decent, well-balanced field in Poznan with a couple of new faces and a couple that I’ve come across before. I’m feeling confident that I have every chance of success.”

McLelland has completed his studies and is now able to train and compete full time:

“I’m no longer in education so I can pour all my focus and time into boccia. And I’m starting to see that pay off in terms of results.”

tyler mclelland now focussing on boccia full-time

The event will be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/poznanboccia

Solid season start for GB Boccia squad

Boccia UK opened its 2025 season with a solid performance at the Pajulathi Challenger in Finland last week.

The squad has returned home with four medals, with Paralympic gold medallist Stephen McGuire MBE taking top honours in the BC4 category and demonstrating continued form since Paris.

It was a momentous occasion for Sally Kidson who claimed her first ever international, individual medal, collecting the bronze after a very strong week on court:

“It’s so hard playing for a medal or going home empty-handed. Internationally, I’ve been in five 3rd/4th playoffs – four of them individuals – so to finally get one over the line was really important for me and it’s good momentum ahead of the Europeans.

It was the squad’s first tournament since the death of two team-mates in December, Matt Berry and Sally’s BC3 Pairs partner, Will Arnott:

“It was really emotional for me to not have Will, my closest team-mate, there to witness it but I know he’d be incredibly proud.”

David Smith OBE is aiming for a lighter season before the build up to the LA Paralympics begins in earnest. He claimed silver, after being defeated by Tomas Kral in the final.

Following the 2024 Paris Games, Smith is making some technical changes to his game, switching up his set of balls and adjusting to a new boccia chair:

“After 11 years, two Paralympic gold medals and two World titles, it was time to retire my boccia chair. It’s a bit like picking up a brand new snooker cue, it takes time to adjust and I only had two weeks before Finland so I think I saw that in my performance, especially when we were playing long.

“In training, it felt fine because the body’s relaxed but when you’re in competition, under pressure because each shot matters, it’s a different story. I’ve got some time now to adjust and tweak things before the Europeans in July. 2025 will be a lighter season for me, I’m making some technical changes so it’s pointless to get too het up on results.”

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A post shared by David Smith OBE (@smithy2389)

Reshad Saraj will be celebrating after winning bronze. The BC2 player from Pinner has very recently joined the World Class Programme and this was a solid start, out-manoeuvring Greece’s Emmanuel Kokonos 3-2 in the bronze play-off.

The BC1/2 Team saw David Smith, Kayleigh Brown and Reshad Saraj win all five pool matches, with impressive margins:

“We played some really good stuff and other times not so good,” says Smith.  “The issues relating to my chair continued into the Team event and I couldn’t play as consistently or as precisely, as I’d have liked, especially in longer areas.

“I thought Reshad did a really good job overall –and he was consistent throughout. Kayleigh also performed well. We’re trying to have a bit of fun with it and not get too involved with the results. We’re seeing how we get on before Kayleigh goes on maternity leave and then we can focus on the Worlds next year.”

It was also a welcome return to court for Fiona Muirhead in the BC4s, following injury and Robyn McBride in the BC3s, the latter claiming two victories in the pool matches.

GB Boccia squad wear red armbands for team-mates

The Great Britain boccia team will wear red armbands at the Pajulathi Challenger in Finland to remember team-mates Will Arnott and Matt Berry.

Finland is the opening tournament of the 2025 season and the first time the GB squad have been back on court since the formidable BC3 players died last December.

robyn mcbride (left) and sally kidson wearing red armbands in memory of will and matt

Performance Director Greg Baker said:

“This is a really poignant and emotional start of the year for us. It’s been difficult for the squad and the staff to come to terms with Will and Matt’s passing but we’ll be back on court and we’ll be giving it everything, for them. This is our way of paying tribute to two world-class athletes and to two very much missed team-mates.”

The squad selected the colour red in recognition of World Duchenne Awareness Day as Will and Matt both lived with the condition.

Arnott, 25, represented ParalympicsGB at the Paris Paralympic Games last summer. His steely determination saw him rise in the world rankings to the number seven spot by the close of the 2024 season.

Berry, 28, was on Boccia UK’s Talent Transition Squad and was working towards the LA Paralympic Games in 2028. In fact, among his other successes last year - which include two gold medals at the Olbia Challenger – he won bronze at this very same Challenger event. 

Stephen McGuire – who won Paralympic gold last summer – said:

“Will and Matt are sorely missed so we’ll be wearing red armbands in memory of them in Finland which is our first international tournament of the season. We wanted to do something to remember them while we’re on court, competing in the sport which they loved so much.”

The Pajulathi Challenger takes place from 9-17 May.

Boccia UK ready for 2025 season

Boccia UK is gearing up for its opening tournament of the 2025 season. Seven British athletes head to the Pajulathi Challenger in Finland (9-17 May 2025).

It’s Stephen McGuire MBE’s first international event since winning gold at the Paris Paralympic Games, after some time off the court:

“I absolutely needed a break after Paris to clear my head and refocus and figure out what I wanted to do. The cycle is demanding and I’d had 20 years chasing that gold medal. I needed to work out what I wanted to achieve next and the European Championships in Zagreb is high on that list so Finland is a really good warm-up for that.

stephen mcguire wins paralympic gold

“I’ve always done well at Europeans and it’s one of the tournaments I really look forward to. The biggest motivation for me this year is to qualify as a Pair for the World Championships next year.”

David Smith OBE will also be back in action. He will be joined by Kayleigh Brown and Reshad Saraj in the Team event following the individual competition. For Saraj, it will be his first tournament as a member of Boccia UK’s World Class Programme.

Meanwhile, Brown recently announced in an Instagram post that she and her husband and competition assistant, Kevin, are expecting a baby in November.

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A post shared by Kayleigh Brown (@kayleigh_haggo)

“I’m really looking forward to competing in Finland and the Europeans before I take a break from the boccia court to focus on family,” explained Brown.

Finland will also see a return to court for BC3 player Sally Kidson. The Bristol University music student was Britain’s youngest boccia athlete at the Paralympics. Robyn McBride of Northern Ireland will also be vying to get through the knockout rounds of the BC3 class.

And after a period of injury last season, Fiona Muirhead will also be back in action in the BC4 class.

fiona muirhead back in action after injury

Performance Director Greg Baker says:

“We’ve had a number of athletes taking a rest and recovery period since the Paralympic Games, but we’re now back to training and looking forward to our first tournament of the season.

“It’s a good chance for us to see where everyone’s at and it’s also excellent preparation towards the European Championships in July which is our major event this season. The Europeans is significant in that is an important qualification opportunity for the World Championships next year.”

This will also be the first opportunity for Rikki Bingham, the newly appointed Head Coach, to see the athletes in competition.

BC1/BC2 Team

David Smith

Kayleigh Brown

Reshad Saraj 

(all competing in Individuals)

BC3 F

Robyn McBride

Sally Kidson

BC4 F

Fiona Muirhead

BC4 M

Stephen McGuire

Boccia UK all set for LA 2028 cycle

Boccia UK is leaving no stone unturned in its quest for victory at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

With more athletes than ever before with a world top 10 ranking, Performance Director Greg Baker believes the British squad is in a good position to be one of the top performers in LA.

stephen mcguire winning gold at paris paralympic games 2024

Yet, it will be no easy feat. As Britain steps up its preparation so too do nations around the world. The sport’s rapid growth resulted in more athletes competing at a Paralympic Games than ever before, hitting the milestone of 125 competitors at Paris 2024. The French capital also witnessed 36 countries vying for medals, the widest representation ever.

We saw boccia athletes representing the region of Africa for the first time at a Paralympic Games and nations winning medals for the first time included Argentina, Colombia, France, Indonesia, Singapore and Ukraine.

As new nations are coming to the fore, Boccia UK is taking its preparations to the next level.

Boccia UK:

• has set up a new senior leadership team to steer the organisation through the LA cycle. This comprises Performance Director, Head Coach, Head of Performance Pathways, Operations Manager and our Head of Performance Support from the UK Sports Institute

• has strengthened its coaching team, appointing first-ever Head Coach, Rikki Bingham and adding a part-time Performance Coach to the team

• is increasing coaching time on court for all athletes on the World Class Programme, both in weekly training and in competition

• is stepping up coaching time for the Talent Transition Squad

• is improving how coaches and UK Sports Institute practitioners work together to share ideas, knowledge and expertise to maximise athlete potential

rikki bingham joins boccia uk as head coach

Greg Baker, Performance Director, said:

“We’re in a really strong position as we are fortunate to have highly experienced Performance Coaches Claire Morrison and Glynn Tromans providing hands-on coaching. We’re adding to this by appointing Lauren Kianchehr as a third Performance Coach on a part-time basis and by increasing Michaela Rihackova’s coaching time within our Talent Transition programme. And Rikki Bingham, of course, joins us from Archery GB to lead the coaching team and we’re really excited to introduce expertise from a different sport but one that shares similarities to boccia.”

He added:

“Boccia is a sport that is growing rapidly around the world and we saw the results of that at Paris 2024 with new nations in the medal table. Great Britain performed strongly last season – we saw that at the Paralympic Games where Stephen McGuire won a gold medal but we also had two bronze medal playoff matches and three quarter-final finishes. We also enjoyed strong results across the World Cups in 2024.

“But there’s more that we can do and more that we need to do if we want to achieve our ambitions of being the number one boccia nation in the world. Coaching is key to realising that. We’ve got a strong, experienced team in place which is why we’re dialling up on that in this cycle.”

New Head Coach named for Boccia UK

Boccia UK has today named Rikki Bingham as it’s first ever Head Coach who  will steer the sport through to the LA Paralympics in its quest to become the world leading boccia nation.

In a switch of sports, Bingham moves from Archery GB where she held the senior role of Olympic Performance Manager during the Paris 2024 cycle. She has coached Paralympic archers since 2014, becoming the programme lead coach in the Tokyo cycle. Notable Paralympic highlights include guiding Jessica Stretton to gold at Rio at the age of 16 and Phoebe Paterson Pine to gold in Tokyo.

rikki bingham named boccia uk’s head coach

Previously, she was a highly accomplished archer herself, having won silver medals at World and European Championships. 

Bingham, who starts the new role in April, says she is looking forward to the challenge ahead:

“There is so much potential with the Great Britain boccia squad and the vision of becoming the world’s leading boccia nation is absolutely achievable. To be a part of that journey – along with highly experienced coaches, talented athletes and exceptional practitioners - is very exciting.

“It’s not very often that coaches have the opportunity to change sports and that’s something that really attracted me to the role. Archery and boccia have many similarities in the way that athletes are required to remain calm and execute shots under pressure and tactical decision making is also paramount. But I’m looking forward to looking at the sport with fresh eyes and new ideas.”

Performance Director Greg Baker said:

“We’re really looking forward to working with Rikki, integrating her into the team and with our stakeholders, as we strive to reach our goals in the Los Angeles cycle.

“She has extensive experience in working with Paralympic athletes and guiding them to medals at major events. Her coaching and leadership skills are first-class and we’re excited that she’s bringing technical and tactical abilities from archery that will certainly translate into boccia and help our athletes move forward. Recruiting a Head Coach was a big priority for the LA cycle so that we could grow our already highly experienced and successful coaching team to maximise our potential and we’re looking forward to our next chapter.”

The Head Coach role attracted significant interest from the UK and internationally with a high number of exceptional candidates, which Baker said “demonstrated the sport’s growth globally”.

UK Champs date unveiled

The UK Championships will take place from 5-7 December 2025 in Northern Ireland.

The best of British boccia will come together, representing their home nations, at the Antrim Forum Leisure Centre which hosted the event back in 2019.

For more info, head to our Calendar.

Claire Taggart and kayleigh brown at the 2023 uk championships

Reshad and Penny get UK call up

Boccia players Reshad Saraj and Penny Froude have both this week received a call up from Boccia UK.

Saraj, 33, who has been supported by Boccia UK’s Talent Transition Squad, is now to be promoted to the World Class Programme, which is supported by UK Sport, The National Lottery and DCMS.

reshad saraj promotied to world class programme

Saraj says:

“When I got the news, it was such a big sigh of relief. I have worked so hard for 16 years to get here, together with my coach Sunil Birdy, and now everything is coming into place.”

The news follows a year of strong results from the Pinner-based boccia player. He claimed his first international gold medal at the Lahti Challenger in Finland last May.

“I started off at the beginning of 2024 as 43rd in world, and now I am 19th. Being part of the Talent Transition Squad has meant regular training camps and additional coaching which has helped me climb the ladder. I’ve trained and competed alongside World Class Programme athletes and just being in that environment has helped me improve and progress,” says the BC2 player.

“I am really looking forward to being with the squad and excited to see what the future holds.”

As part of the World Class Programme, Reshad will now access first class coaching as well as support services which include physiotherapy, strength and conditioning and sports psychology.

Meanwhile, Penny Froude – from Camberley in Surrey – is joining Boccia UK’s Talent Transition Squad which supports up and coming athletes that demonstrate world-class potential. Athletes receive coaching from Michaela Rihackova.

The BC4 player who, like Saraj, has been supported by Boccia England, said:

“I’m so excited! It’s a fantastic opportunity to work alongside athletes who are at the very top of their game and with coaches who are highly experienced.

“It’s an honour and privilege to be selected and something I’ve been working towards for a few years. I feel very grateful to be given this chance and I’m here to work hard, give it my best shot and absorb as much as I can to improve my game,” added Froude.

penny froude joins talent transition squad

Froude, 41, added that her coach Barry Bowden is “over the moon”:

“It means as much to him as it does to me. He’s my rock and I’ve known him for many years. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.”

Her career highlights include finishing fourth at the 2023 Heraklion Challenger.

Boccia UK Performance Director Greg Baker explains:

“Reshad and Penny have both shown incredible dedication and their results show that they have earned this opportunity. We are really excited to welcome Reshad onto the World Class Programme. He has really committed himself to this sport and to improving as an athlete and has demonstrated the medal-winning potential we need to see at this level.

“Likewise, we’re thrilled that Penny is joining our Talent Transition Squad. We introduced the Talent Squad in 2023 for athletes who weren’t yet at World Class Programme level but could benefit from extra coaching and international opportunities to help them progress.

“To be successful at the highest levels in boccia, we look for athletes that are good problem solvers and can play strategically. It’s a demanding and exacting sport and both Reshad and Penny have got that mindset and we’re excited to see what the future holds.”