Boccia
Disability Sport NI is the lead development agency in Northern Ireland for Boccia and is a member of Boccia UK.
Boccia has been a Paralympic sport since 1984 and is specifically designed for disabled athletes affecting loco-motor function such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and spinal injuries. At recreational level Boccia is played by people with a range of physical, sensory and learning disabilities.
Please CLICK HERE to see a video of Boccia being played.
Please CLICK HERE to see who is eligible to play Boccia.
Boccia Clubs
There are 12 Boccia clubs across Northern Ireland that are aimed specifically at players who meet the Paralympic classification. For further information on classification please CLICK HERE. The clubs provide an opportunity to play both recreationally and competitively against other teams in the Northern Ireland Boccia Pairs League and on an individual basis in the Northern Ireland Individual Boccia Championship. For further information or to find a boccia club please CLICK HERE.
Competitions
The season in Northern Ireland runs on an annual basis from September-June for the National competitions.
The Northern Ireland Boccia Pairs Championship which is organised by Disability Sport NI provides monthly matches between October-June each year in various locations across Northern Ireland. The league is open to teams of 2-4 players, all of whom must have a physical disability.
The Northern Ireland the Individual Boccia Championship also runs on a monthly basis and provides National competition for players who meet BisFed classification criteria BC1 – BC5. Matches in the competition take place on a monthly basis at various venues across Northern Ireland.
Disability Sport NI will host the 2019 UK Boccia Championships in Antrim Forum between 14th – 16th June 2019. All spectators are welcome.
Performance
Disability Sport NI delivers the Northern Ireland Boccia Performance Programme with a National Performance Centre based in Ulster University, Jordanstown for the most talented Boccia athletes in Northern Ireland. Disability Sport NI supports athletes through our performance pathway to progress to world class performance programme selection with Boccia.
Athletes
Disability Sport NI is aligned to Boccia UK’s World Class Athlete Performance Pathway and supports local athletes to progress through to represent Boccia UK in International competition. Local athlete Claire Taggart represented Boccia UK in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio and the 2018 BISfed World Championship in Liverpool.
There are eight Boccia players on the Northern Ireland Boccia Squad: Claire Taggart, Scott Cromie, Paul McLister, Jayne Milligan, Robyn McBride, Hannah Uprichard, Daniel Elliot, William Graham.
Training
Disability Sport NI deliver the following boccia courses
• Boccia Leaders Award – click for further information
• Boccia Level 1 (UKCC Accredited)
• Boccia Level 2 Coaching (UKCC Accredited)
• Boccia Level 1 Officials (UKCC Accredited)
For all Boccia enquiries please contact Disability Sport NI’s, Boccia Performance Pathway Officer, Terry Conroy:
Telephone: 028 9046 9925
Email: tconroy@dsni.co.uk
Ryan McQuillan: Club Development Officer (Boccia and Wheelchair Basketball)
Telephone: 07799 137291
Email: rmcquillan@dsni.co.uk