Owen Ranston in action on the mat. Photo / WJL Photography
Owen Ranston in action on the mat. Photo / WJL Photography
An 11-year-old Hawke’s Bay boy has topped the New Zealand rankings for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu federation after participating in the sport for just two years.
Owen Ranston started learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Gracie Allegiance Ahuriri in October 2023.
Now he’s the highest-ranked athlete by the New Zealand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation(NZBJJF) for 2025 with 1007 points, from 57 wins and 14 losses.
He has won 26 golds, nine silvers and two bronzes in that period.
NZBJJF rankings are determined by points accrued in official tournaments.
While some athletes may compete only once or twice a year in official tournaments, children tend to compete more, as there are more tournaments for them to enter.
“Being the highest-ranked athlete means I got the most points in New Zealand from competing in official tournaments,” Owen said.
“Every time I competed, I earned points for how I did. At the end of the year, whoever has the most points is ranked No 1. It means I competed a lot and did well across lots of competitions, not just one.”
Before learning jiu-jitsu, Owen competed in gymnastics and rugby and likes being active and competitive.
Since joining Gracie Allegiance Ahuriri, he and his brother Ivan have trained and competed under the watchful eye of Jaye Rio, head coach at the club.
Owen Ranston with coach Jaye Rio at Gracie Allegiance Ahuriri.
“Owen’s such a good kid to have on the mats, he looks after his training partners and stays focused on whatever the drill or positional sparring game is,” Rio said.
“He’s also been helping out with coaching in the younger kids’ class, which shows his character as he’s willing to help the other kids by teaching them and ensuring their training runs safely and smoothly. Just an all-round good kid.”
Rio said topping the rankings was a massive achievement for Owen, and the club couldn’t be prouder of him.
“I want to get better, learn new moves, and improve every time I train and compete. Jiu-jitsu is really complex, but that’s what makes it fun, and my coach Jaye Rio helps me keep learning and challenging myself.
“My long-term goal is to become a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and represent the Gracie Allegiance team as much as possible. I’d also like to compete at big international competitions like the World Championships and keep making my team proud.”
Owen Ranston, right, and brother Ivan with their medals from the 2025 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Nationals.
“I want to be a top athlete and work hard at the sports I love.”
Over summer, Owen said he was planning to “eat heaps, train hard, and get big like Arnold”, but he was still very thankful for everything his coach and club had done for him.
“They’ve helped me learn, improve, and enjoy jiu-jitsu every step of the way.”
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand.
