Mathew 'Mat' Ragg (born 21 September 1991) is a Strongman from New Zealand.[1] He is a seven-times winner of New Zealand's Strongest Man competition.[2]
Ragg started his sporting career as a sprinter but a recurring shin injury caused him to move towards weight training.[2] In 2013, he started competing in local strongman competitions and broke some national records in the process. This paved him to join 2016 Arnold Amateur World Championships, where he secured third place behind Zach Hadge and Evgeny Markov, resulting in his pro debut.[citation needed]
Following a hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic,[3] Ragg competed at 2022 Official Strongman Games and won third place which qualified him for the World's Strongest Man.[4] At 2023 World's Strongest Man, he qualified for the finals, finishing in 9th place. At the 2023 Giants Live World Tour Finals, he won second place behind Tom Stoltman and ahead of the reigning World's Strongest Man champion Mitchell Hooper.[citation needed]
In 2024, he won the Beasts of Burden competition by scoring 41 of a possible 45 points.[4] Ragg found further success in the 2024 season, coming fourth place at the 2024 World's Strongest Man and Giants Live Strongman Classic. He was also invited to compete in the 2024 Strongest Man on Earth competition (coming 12th out of 16) and the 2024 Rogue Invitational (coming 7th out of 10).
Ragg is of Samoan descent.[5] He works full time as a shift supervisor at McDonald's.[2]
His brother Samuel is regarded as one of the finest trainers in the New Zealand Warriors club history. He is also a recent winner of the 2025 Sharman Cup.
Training:
Winning percentage: 6.67%
Podium percentage: 33.33%
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Podium | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International competitions | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–2025 | World's Strongest Man | Himself – Competitor |
