Rayno Nel: South African Rugby Player Wins 2025 World's Strongest Man

Rayno Nel: South African Rugby Player Wins 2025 World's Strongest Man Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 12:51 AM by Raphael Abiola 3 min read Rayno Nel has raised South Africa's flag high once again as he win the 2025 World's Strongest Man competition held in the United States of America The 30-year-old, who captained CUT in three successive Varsity Cup seasons, defeated two former champions to win the competition in North America Nel's win sparked different reactions from netizens on social media, with several people praising him for his new achievement PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News. South African rugby player Rayno Nel has etched his name in history as the first African to win the World’s Strongest Man competition, and the first rookie champion since 1997. Nel captained CUT in three consecutive Varsity Cup seasons before earning a call-up to the Cheetahs. He began dedicated strongman training in 2022 while balancing his athletic pursuits with a career as an electrical engineer. Rayno Nel wins the "World's Strongest Man" competition. Rayno Nel lifts a 154kg (340 lbs) circus barbell for two reps, during the Overhead Medley event on the first day of qualifying at the "World's Strongest Man" competition. Photo: Robyn Beck Source: Getty Images Nel Crowned World’s Strongest Man Nel, weighing 148kg, narrowly edged out defending champion Tom Stoltman by just half a point over the two-day final in Sacramento, California, to claim the prestigious title. Julius Malema questions why AfriForum leaders haven't moved to the USA, South Africans amused Recommended for you Julius Malema questions why AfriForum leaders haven't moved to the USA, Sou... PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News! Leading up to the 2025 World’s Strongest Man and during the initial two days of competition, the focus was primarily on the anticipated showdown between former champions Mitchell Hooper and Tom Stoltman. 2025 World’s Strongest Man Podium Rayno Nel — 47 points Tom Stoltman — 46.5 points Mitchell Hooper — 43.5 points Nel’s meteoric rise to the record books is no surprise, given his dominance in his brief strongman career. Prior to the 2025 World’s Strongest Man, he secured victories in five of the six international competitions he entered. Rayno Nel crowned the World Strongest Man. Rayno Nel competes in the Natural Stone Medley during the qualifying round of the "World's Strongest Man" competition. Photo: Robyn Beck Source: Getty Images The 30-year-old during an interview after being crowned the Strongest man in the world, expressed immense pride in representing South Africa. “To represent [South Africa] in any way whatsoever, it feels surreal,” Nel told USA Today. “We’re a small country with many struggles. To have something like this means a lot to my people.” The South African Rugby Community will be happy with this news as they were thrown into mourning last week over the death of Cornal Hendricks. : https://briefly.co.za/sports/rugby/216168-rayno-nel-south-african-rugby-player-wins-2025-worlds-strongest-man/