Auckland arm wrestling team heads into trans-Tasman showdown

New Zealand’s number two ranked arm wrestler is preparing to lead his South Auckland-based team across the Tasman for a showdown against Australia.

Freshmeat Armwrestling Club (Freshmeat) will take on Australia’s Power House Gold Coast Arm Wrestling Club later this month for the Top 8 Club Wars showdown. The event will feature athletes from both nations across multiple weight classes in right and left-hand divisions.

The format differs from individual contests, as Charles Puiri, founder of the Manukau Freshmeat club, proposed a club-versus-club challenge featuring eight of each team’s strongest competitors.

Speaking with Pacific Huddle host Tuilagi William Leolahi, Puiri, who first entered the sport in 2016, says his passion began after his first national tournament. He says the president of the New Zealand Armwrestling Federation told him at the time that he “had the potential to be great”.

Nine years later, Puiri now holds the title of national super-heavyweight champion and is the second ranked arm wrestler in the motu. The club also celebrated multiple podium finishes last month at the New Zealand Nationals. Puiri won first place in the right-arm super-heavyweight division and third in the left.

“Freshmeat, it all started with being just a bunch of friends trying to enjoy the sport. For the last two years, I've put everything into this club and try to promote the sport more in the community and get more of our Pacific Islanders into the sport,” he says.

“Armwrestling for me, is another way where two guys can communicate across the table. When we first engage with a new member, I notice a lot of men always have their barrier up. Once we group up and show them the basics, you see their barriers come down and they're more open. That’s what I enjoy about the sport.”

The club’s upcoming event, Top 8 Club Wars, will take place at Power House Gold Coast Arm Wrestling on Saturday 25 October. The event marks a milestone for the Auckland team, as they represent New Zealand internationally for the first time.

Puiri credits much of his progress to fellow competitor and New Zealand number one Maateiwarangi Heta-Morris, known as “The Beast”. Heta-Morris is a four-time Oceania champion and ranked 10th in the world.

“My wife also sacrifices a lot for me to be able to pursue this journey. When there's a lot of sacrifices, there's also rewards, which is like meeting new community people and making new friends and collaborations.”

With arm wrestling in Aotearoa still emerging, Puiri says the greatest challenge is keeping new members interested. He rotates training activities and organises mini events between clubs to maintain interest.

He also aims to move the sport out of pub settings and into family-friendly spaces.

Puiri believes arm wrestling offers a pathway for youth who may not fit traditional sports, and encourages women to join also.

“If you’re looking for a new sport, come and give arm wrestling a go. I guarantee that you'll fall in love with it. Arm wrestling is also a woman's sport, so we highly encourage ladies. If you're interested in looking for a sport that you could do with your husband.

“We also have two young juniors who are 16 and 17, which I'm currently training. One of them is number two in juniors in New Zealand. Definitely, we need more women in sport. It is a bit intimidating when it's a majority [of men in a] sport, but we do train women also.”