Footy star punches above his weight with a new boxing gym in Wagga

Riverina rugby hardman Fetongi Tuinavai, better known as Tee, is expanding his sporting resume in 2024, stepping into the boxing ring for his first professional fight and opening his own gym in Wagga’s CBD.

Tee’d Up Fitness opened earlier this year in Fitzmaurice Street opposite the Wagga Courthouse and Tee said owning a gym had been on his mind for a while.

“I’ve always wanted to open the gym in Wagga and about five years ago, I thought I’d see how it would go,” he said.

“I had a little gym up at Chronicle [CrossFit and Athlete Development Centre] but it was more of a garage-type set-up with just four boxing bags, floor mats, and nothing else.

“It was going well and there was plenty of interest, but I decided to head off to the Gold Coast to experience a bit more in the boxing scene, which is pretty big up there, so I worked at a few gyms and learned so much and then I was like – OK, I’m ready to set this up now.”

Born in New Zealand, Tee moved to Gundagi with his family in 2011 and spent a decade representing various teams across the Riverina.

He played both rugby codes at the elite level in Australia and overseas and gained a ferocious reputation in the Riverina’s Group 9 Rugby League before returning to union this year as a player and coach with the Reddies.

“I thought I wouldn’t take it too seriously and just have a run with the CSU Reddies for fun and to help out with coaching the backs,” he said.

“At the same time, I was preparing for a fight and opened up my boxing gym here.”

Over the years, Tee found more than his fair share of trouble both on and off the field, but he said boxing had helped him to focus his energy.

“For me, I used to be an angry man back in the day and got into a lot of trouble,” he said. ”I thought I was a real tough man and I ran around doing dumb stuff.

“Boxing helped me control that and it just kind of brings you down a bit and it keeps your mind focused.”

The aspiring boxer stepped up for his first professional fight on the Gold Coast in February, giving away more than 30 kg plus height and reach against heavyweight Richo Bangz.

While the decision didn’t go his way, Tee said it was a valuable experience.

“I wanted to test myself, you know, and even though I lost, just being in the ring you realise a lot of things and I felt like I achieved something because I jumped in there,” he said.

“I’ve got my second fight lined up in December and I’ll be fighting my own weight this time and I think I’ll be more prepared for the next fight.”

With the closure this month of UBX Training in Forsyth Street, Tee’d Up Fitness is the only commercial gym specialising in boxing classes and one-on-one training.

“A lot of people come in and they think it’s just for fighters, and maybe with the ring set up there it looks like that, but I say it’s for everyone,” Tee said.

“We’ve got men and women coming in and we do circuit classes and fitness as well as working with fighters, so hopefully we can continue to grow and offer different things.”