The 22-year-old amateur boxer wants to challenge the NSW Government’s law that forbids female amateur boxing bouts being held in the State, saying the ruling is “out-dated” and “unfair”.

“NSW is the only state in Australia that hasn’t legalised female amateur boxing, and for no valid reason,” Taylor said.

“For females to fight, we have to go to another state each time, which is ridiculous. It’s about time NSW came into the 21st century and in line with the all the other states, which have legalised female boxing bouts.”

Taylor said the laws were incredibly frustrating for female boxers, who only want to put into competitive practice what they have learned.

She said strict guidelines were in force to ensure women’s safety, including compulsory head gear, mouth guards, hand wraps, gloves and breast protectors to be worn at all times when in the ring.

“The high expense involved in travelling to different states in order to compete in bouts is very disheartening,” she said.

“In order to progress further in the sport and improve, you have to compete in bouts almost weekly, but it’s almost impossible to do that if you’re in NSW because of the costs involved in travelling to different states each time. We’re like any other sports people, we want to compete in our chosen sport, but we’re denied that right because we are female.”

Taylor has started a petition outlining support to change the law, which she hopes will show the Government the NSW boxing fraternity is serious about its female sports stars. So far she has more than 600 signatures, and after a convincing win in her first competitive bout in Canberra two weeks ago, the Kurrajong Heights resident has been spurred on to seek out more support.

“In this day and age of equal opportunities and women’s rights, the fact that we still face this type of discouraging attitude is incredible,” she said.