Rayno Nel made history by becoming the first African to win the World’s Strongest Man competition. It was the first victory by a rookie at the event since 1997.
Suddenly, everyone is asking, who is Rayno Nel?
The 30-year-old, 148kg South African edged defending champion Tom Stoltman by just half a point in the two-day final to claim the title, and his journey from young rugby star to the World’s Strongest Man has been fascinating.
So who is the new World’s Strongest Man?
Nel was a talented rugby player before changing direction.
Nel captained CUT in three successive Varsity Cup campaigns, before being called up by the Cheetahs, but ultimately he found his calling elsewhere.
The former loose forward only took up strongman training properly in 2022, and works as an electrical engineer.
Prior to the 2025 World’s Strongest Man, he secured victories in five of the six international competitions he entered.
“Rugby was what I thought I would do for my sports career. I didn’t think I’d do any sport ever again,” Nel said. “But I always had this competitive side to me, so when I stopped playing rugby, I knew I needed to do something competitive. That’s just who I am.”
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