Ike Robin

New Zealand wrestler (1886-1968)

Born

8 November 1886, Wairoa

Died

21 June 1968

Citizenship

New Zealand

Sport

amateur wrestling

Occupation

amateur wrestler

Ihakara Te Tuku Rapana (8 November 1886 – 21 June 1968), commonly known as Ike Robin, was a New Zealand sportsman, businessman, orator and member for the Māori Anglican Church. A champion sheep shearer and professional wrestler, he was the first national heavyweight champion recognised by the National Wrestling Association and successfully defended the title against some of the top stars of the Gold Dust Trio-era, most notably, Stanislaus Zbyszko in 1926. Over 40 years after his death, he was ranked No. 7 in a top ten list of New Zealand's greatest wrestlers by Fight Times Magazine in 2009.

As a lay reader of the Anglican church he was closely associated with many prominent members of the clergy, such as Bishop Frederick Bennett, and other notable figures as Te Puea Herangi and Sir Turi Carroll. He was also an elder of the Ngāti Kahungunu and especially active in charity work and philanthropy on behalf of the Māori people. His efforts were recognized and was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Awards and honours

• Member of the Order of the British Empire

External links

• Wikipedia
• Wikidata

Facts from Wikidata Q5995663 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.