On The Up: Rangitīkei fighters Tahurangi Harrison and Rhomeo Baker to compete at European tournaments

Rangitīkei MMA fighters (from left) Rhomeo Baker, Lucas Bush and Tahurangi Harrison. Baker and Harrison are headed to Europe for the World Kickboxing Association World Championships in October.

Off the back of a successful outing in the Asia Pacific World Kickboxing Championship in Bali, two teenage Rangitīkei fighters will test their abilities on the world stage.

Rhomeo Baker, 18, and Tahurangi Harrison, 17, have qualified to attend the World Kickboxing Association World Championships in Manchester, England, on October 14.

They are also looking to compete at the Unified World Championship in Italy on October 23-26.

The teens won two gold medals each at the Asia Pacific World Kickboxing Championship in Bali, earning them qualification for the European championships.

Baker and Harrison train with Rangitīkei MMA, which was set up by Lucas Bush in 2020.

Bush said their progress had been massive over the past few years and they were well-deserving of the opportunity to compete internationally.

“The development that they’ve had over the last couple of years, how much time and effort they’ve put into their training, the achievements are speaking for themselves,” Bush said.

Baker (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tūhoe) was born and raised in Marton while Harrison (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whātua) is originally from Auckland.

Baker has been around the combat community since he was 5 as his older siblings were combat fighters and Bush has trained Harrison from the age of 13.

It is estimated they will need about $20,000 between them for their trip. They have been holding raffles and accepting donations but will look for support from agencies that help achieve internationally.

Bush labels himself as a “latecomer” into the combat community as he started in 2010 and set up Rangitīkei MMA in 2020.

His gym is nearly 40 members strong, with four juniors and eight seniors in the fight team.

Bush was proud of how his project had turned out just five years in and said “the talent is there”.

“In another four or five years, if we keep this team together, we’ll have New Zealand and world champions,” Bush said.

“We do this for free - kids are free and over 18 is a koha. Our gym is based on health and wellbeing and creating opportunities.

“We create the opportunities and then it is up to them.”

Harrison’s father Brett said the club got his son out of a “fork in the road” and he loved the camaraderie.

“The good thing about this club and these young fellas is that everyone is accountable to everyone else,” Harrison said.

“In a lot of ways, our community feel like they are a part of our journey because the club are out and about, running in the streets, doing jobs for the council and supporting as many teams as we can.

“It is inspiring to see rangitahi doing that sort of stuff, getting out there and doing it - it is a place of belonging, there is no judgement here.”

Baker and Harrison have a trial on May 17 to make sure their fitness is up to scratch ahead of the world championships in October.