From the dusty rugby fields of Bloemfontein to the world stage in Sacramento, Rayno Nel has just become the strongest man on Earth… and he did it for South Africa.
South Africa (19 May 2025) – South Africa, we’ve got a new hero. And he just became the strongest man on the planet.
In a historic triumph, 30-year-old Rayno Nel shocked the strongman world on 18 May 2025 in Sacramento. In his very first World’s Strongest Man final, the former rugby star clinched the title by the slimmest of margins, just 0.5 points, edging out defending champion Tom Stoltman. Nel became the first man from outside Europe or North America to win the 48-year-old competition. In the final Atlas Stones event, he loaded his fourth stone mere fractions of a second ahead of his rivals, sealing a 47–46.5 victory in an epic showdown. By standing atop the podium he has become the first WSM winner from South Africa, the continent of Africa and the southern hemisphere.
Nel’s journey to the top was anything but ordinary. Born in Upington and raised in the rugby heartland of Bloemfontein, he played for the Central University of Technology and the Free State Cheetahs. After retiring from rugby in 2019 to work as an electrical engineer, he discovered the sport of strongman. Starting in 2023, he dominated immediately, winning South Africa’s Strongest Man back-to-back and taking Africa’s Strongest Man in 2023 and 2024. He even swept the 2024 Strongman Champions League season, becoming the world series champion.
This rapid rise from local athlete to global contender set the stage for Sacramento… a “rookie turned legend” almost overnight.
At the 2025 finals, Nel stamped his authority early. On Day 1 he won the opening KNAACK Carry & Hoist, and took second place in both the massive 18-inch deadlift and the Hercules Hold. These results gave him a commanding lead (roughly seven points ahead of his nearest rival) going into Day 2. Stoltman fought back with wins in the Sunday events but Nel’s cushion was just enough. The title came down to the final Atlas Stones lift: Nel and Stoltman went head-to-head, stone-for-stone. Nel loaded his final stone a heartbeat faster than the competition, a tiny margin that secured his 47–46.5 victory.
Final standings confirmed the nail-biter: Nel 47.0 points, Stoltman 46.5, Canada’s Mitchell Hooper 43.5. In a sport often dominated by stalwarts from colder climates, a South African giant had emerged.
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The reaction back home was instant jubilation. In Mzansi, Nel’s triumph was hailed as a rainbow-nation moment. He has made history as “the first African athlete to win the world strongman title in the 48-year history of the competition.” South Africans from Cape Town to Johannesburg took to social media in pride, calling it a national first.
Even South Africa’s official Government account posted, “HISTORY MADE! Congratulations to Rayno Nel, Africa’s first-ever World’s Strongest Man champion!”.
Nel himself was humble, saying he was “just over the moon” and that representing his country “feels surreal.”
“To represent (South Africa) in any way whatsoever, it feels surreal. I mean, we’re a small country with a lot of struggles. To have something like this I know means a lot to my people.”
He even quipped about post-competition celebrations, lamenting he couldn’t enjoy his favourite Black Label lager in California and would have to “try American beer tonight.”
For his part, Nel insists this is only the beginning. In a candid interview he said his progress has been rapid and he’s “still improving” every season.
“My strength came up really fast, and I’m still improving,” he said, a sign that he’s not resting on laurels.
His win has galvanised a nation. A reminder that in South Africa’s “rainbow nation,” even the strongest title in sport is now within reach.
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