TWEED Heads teenager Rachel Loder always knew she wanted to fight.

The netballer turned boxer, who will tonight take on New Zealand's best 16-year-old Pelea Fruean in Auckland in her first overseas fight, continues her rise as one of the country's finest young female boxers.

Accruing an impressive amateur fighting resume, including two national junior titles and a NSW state title, Loder's dream journey from the netball court to the squared circle is reflective of a talented and committed teen, who just needed an in.

"We were doing boxing for fitness work at netball training and it was so fun,” Loder said of her first taste of boxing.

"I always used to think I could fight. I used to talk myself up like there was no tomorrow - I wouldn't have been able to fight but I just talked it up.

"But, after those classes on the pads at netball, I told Mum I would box for fitness. I fell in love with it and got addicted.”

Now 16, Loder's achievements are overshadowed only by the short time they've been accrued, with the Tweed River High School student laying claim to the Australian 60kg and 63kg junior titles after linking with Kingscliff Boxing Stables' trainer Nick Midgley just a year and-a-half-ago.

Midgley, Loder's sole trainer over the short run, is bullish about his young fighter's chances against Fruean, who'll represent New Zealand at the youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas in July.

"Rachel's talent is uncommon and her chances are good,” Midgley said.

In searching for fights, Loder has regularly had to square off against fighters up to 10 years her elder, and secured her New Zealand bout after winning a 60kg NSW title fight in Bondi during March.

Since organising the fight, Midgley said the pair had been working on jabs and movement, with a focus on increasing Loder's speed.

"She's been training hard at short notice and she'll be good to go,” he said.

While Loder hasn't studied her opponent in depth, she said the fight would be the biggest of her career to date.

"I'm a bit nervous, but I'm super excited and I'll be running on adrenaline. I can't wait,” Loder said.

Regardless of the outcome, Loder plans to fight at the nationals at the end of the year, before stepping up to professional level when she turns 18 in June of 2018.

Although turning pro would forego the opportunity of representing Australia at Commonwealth and Olympic level, Loder said it was under the bright lights of the biggest arenas in the world where her future lay.

"My goal is to fight in massive stadiums like the MGM Grand. With the atmosphere and everything else, turning pro is definitely my goal,” she said.