Broughshane’s nine-year-old ‘Viking Twins’ win judo titles and dedicate trophy to dad
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Tom Gordon with nine-year-old ‘Viking Twins’ Hunter and Crixus Crawford
Saturday 07 November 2026
Nine-year-old brothers Hunter and Crixus Crawford from Broughshane have become Northern Ireland Under-12 judo champions — little more than a year after taking up the sport.
Known locally as the ‘Viking Twins’, the brothers won gold in their respective weight divisions at the Northern Ireland Judo Championships and have earned places on the Northern Ireland Judo Pathway Squad.
Among their most meaningful achievements was winning the Amy Nolan Memorial Trophy, which they dedicated to their father, Graham, during his battle with cancer.
From first lessons to Northern Ireland titles
Hunter and Crixus began judo at eight, winning bronze medals at their first competition after just a few weeks of training. Further bronze-medal success followed at the All-Ireland Championships in Dublin.
Both brothers went on to secure silver medals at the NI Open Invitational before reaching the top of the podium at the Northern Ireland Judo Championships. Their achievements also include the Northern Ireland Schools Judo Champions 2026 titles.
The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon, hosted a reception recognising their sporting success and representation of the local area.
He said:
“Hunter and Crixus Crawford, our ‘Viking Twins’, have enjoyed an extraordinary run of success, despite only beginning their judo journey last year at the age of eight.”
Success across three combat sports
The twins’ achievements extend beyond judo. They have also become Northern Ireland Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions in both Gi and No-Gi competition and remain unbeaten in mixed martial arts.
They are coached by Danny Nolan of County Antrim Judo and Martin Begley of Heat MMA Antrim.
Their ‘Viking Twins’ nickname comes from their stature and formerly braided hair, but the mayor also highlighted how they conduct themselves when competing against older and more experienced opponents.
“Beyond the medals, what stands out most is the character shown by these young sportsmen,” he said.
“Regularly competing against older and more experienced opponents, the twins have demonstrated that hard work, belief and determination can overcome any obstacle.”
For Hunter and Crixus, a year of sporting progress has brought national titles and places on Northern Ireland’s judo pathway. Their dedication of the Amy Nolan Memorial Trophy to Graham also gave that success a deeply personal meaning: a tribute to their dad during his cancer battle.
