A former national boxing champion will spend the next six years in prison for raping an 18-year-old woman.

Dylan Michael Templeton, 21 who won a New Zealand light welterweight title in 2003 and travelled with the junior team to Tahiti was sentenced in Palmerston North District Court yesterday.

He pleaded guilty to rape on the first day of his trial in March, after the complainant was part-way through giving evidence.

His teenage victim, 17 at the time of the attack, told the jury how Templeton had taken her to a dark and secluded grass area off Main St on the evening of May 16 last year.

She had been walking toward Napier Rd to hitchhike home to Woodville when she was approached by Templeton and his friends, who were drinking.

When the two were left alone, Templeton raped the woman and then fled with her cellphone.

Judge John Clapham said it was an aggravating feature that Templeton had used excessive force and threats on the "naive, vulnerable young woman" when a member of the public came within earshot during the rape.

She remained upset and her relationship with her father had suffered since the incident, he said.

But Templeton had some insight into his own background and had shown remorse and a desire to apologise to the woman for his "unacceptable conduct", Judge Clapham said.

The ex-Palmerston North Boxing Club member was also sentenced to three months' jail on two assault convictions relating to an incident while he was on bail for rape.

Templeton had to be pulled off one victim after he knocked him to the ground and beat him until he was unconscious, Judge Clapham said.

Templeton had "considerable boxing skills" and showed he had the ability to follow rules in the sport like keeping fit, training and meeting targets.

Templeton had a rapid rise to North Island and national representative boxing ranks in 2003 after only a season in the sport. He won 20 out of 25 fights during his career.

- © Fairfax NZ News