From Country Show Jams to Sumo Stardom: Katrina Watts’ Unlikely Global Journey
Katrina Watts, a familiar face at country shows for her award-winning jams, leads a double life that sees her jetting across the globe to lend her voice to the ancient sport of sumo wrestling. This 73-year-old dynamo from Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales discovered her passion for the disciplined world of sumo quite by chance while working as an English teacher at a Japanese university.
“I was living in Osaka and went to see a sumo competition and fell in love with the country’s famous sport,” Watts recalls. “It was fascinating to see it live and sit up close to the ring and observe the traditions.” What began as a casual spectator’s curiosity soon blossomed into a deep fascination.
Watts quickly became a regular at sumo events. With a keen eye for photography, she began capturing the essence of the sport. “I was interested in photography, mainly of scenery in Japan,” she explains. “I got excited when I saw a photo I took by accident of a group of teenage sumo wrestlers in a temple. It captured one sumo wrestler having his hair done in a traditional style and sitting next to him was another playing a Game Boy, and I thought it was such a great contrast between ancient tradition and modern customs.”
Her unique presence also became a talking point. Known for her metre-long plait and her thoughtful gesture of bringing food with an Australian flavour to the matches, Watts endeared herself to the sumo community. “I would watch the training and because it is polite to bring along food I would take Anzac biscuits,” she says. “They really enjoyed those biscuits, but I had to be careful about what colour biscuits I took because sumo wrestlers are superstitious.”
She elaborates on the superstitions: “When they win a tournament, it is symbolised on a score chart by a white circle and if they lose it is symbolised by a black circle. So I could safely make brown Anzac biscuits or white coconut ones but never chocolate biscuits because they were considered unlucky.”
An Accidental Expert Emerges
Watts’ deep immersion in the sport inadvertently turned her into an “accidental expert.” This burgeoning knowledge soon opened unexpected doors. “When the Japanese national broadcaster started their English language broadcast of the wrestling competition they asked me to be a guest commentator,” she reveals. “I gained a lot of knowledge talking to people, but when I was invited as a commentator I had to study harder, particularly about the techniques and the style of the different wrestlers. It forced me to become more knowledgeable about the subject.”
Her commitment to sumo led to an extended stay in Japan, where she spent 25 years immersed in the sport. During this time, she carved out a significant niche for herself as a television commentator, interpreter, and stadium announcer, becoming a respected and pivotal figure within the sumo world. “I stayed longer in Japan because I felt like I had an extended family in the world of sumo and it gave me a fulfilling life,” she reflects.
The Ancient Roots of Sumo
The Sumo Federation of Japan traces the sport’s origins back to the year 712 AD, where it began as a ritualistic practice during festivals, intended to predict the year’s harvest. Over centuries, it evolved into the competitive sport we recognise today, yet many of its ancient traditions, such as the ritual purification of the ring (dohyo) with salt, are still meticulously observed. In professional sumo in Japan, participation is exclusively for men.
Watts explains that despite its ancient lineage, the fundamental rules of sumo are remarkably straightforward. The core objective is to force an opponent out of the clay ring or to make any part of their body other than the sole of their foot touch the ground within the ring. “The wrestlers enter the clay ring and start with a bow,” she describes. “They rub their hands together as a ritual washing and clap their hands loudly to attract the attention of the gods before spreading their hands to show that they have no concealed weapons.”
Professional sumo wrestlers in Japan are treated with the reverence of superstars. Their lives are highly structured, with attendants managing their diets to optimise weight gain, as a larger physique is believed to equate to greater strength and resilience in a bout. Amateur wrestlers, on the other hand, often manage their own nutritional plans, which can include visits to fast-food establishments.
Promoting Sumo Down Under and Beyond
Upon her return to Australia in 2005, Watts brought her passion for sumo with her. She joined the Amateur Australian Sumo Wrestling organisation, eventually taking on the role of president and actively promoting participation in the sport nationwide.
Globally, Watts notes a growing involvement of women in sumo, though currently limited to amateur events. “Opportunities are growing for women, but it is difficult to say if females will be allowed to compete in traditional rings,” she observes. “However, if sumo gets into the Olympics, that will allow more exposure, and professional status could become more of a possibility.”
Today, Katrina Watts serves as the executive director of the International Sumo Federation. Her calendar remains packed with global sumo events, and she is already planning her attendance at the 2026 Sumo World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“I will be doing the stadium announcing and acting as an interpreter so I need to brush up on my Russian,” she states, highlighting the international nature of her role. “Russian is a second language in Azerbaijan and some wrestlers also come from there. This is just another example of sumo taking me to places I would never have dreamed of going to. It brings me fabulous opportunities.”
Despite her global commitments, Watts remains grounded, with plans to return home in time for the Murwillumbah Show in November, where she hopes to once again enter her highly acclaimed jams.
