Rayno Nel – South African Atlas
By Koketso Mamabolo
There he was in white takkies, fire engine red knee braces, wearing an orange tank top with his three letter name, Nel, in bold on the back above a South African flag. Next to the 1.91m, 148kg colossus was a man just as big, probably even bigger: the defending World’s Strongest Man, Tom Stoltman. Five pillars and five spherical stones stood between them and glory. Each of the Atlas Stones is heavier than the one before, from 100kg to 160kg. The aim is to test both strength and endurance – to test the athletes physical limits. Lifting all five stones onto the pillars used to be rare, now it’s the standard. These are athletes who push their muscles to the edge – close to failure. “It’s difficult to explain because you have to be able to get strong enough to get to this point where you can fatigue your central nervous system so I think there’s very few people who will understand what I’m explaining.” Nonetheless, Rayno has been embraced like a hero from the moment he won. From breakfast television shows to radio interviews, YouTube channels and the SABC, Rayno has been big news, figuratively and literally.
Like many South African athletes he almost immediately takes on the role of an ambassador in a way that most of his fellow competitors aren’t required to – they become a different kind of civil servant. Here sport is a unifier because of a fractured past, and in that light athletes representing the country have a mission beyond just winning, they are also working to strengthen ties among all those who live in the country by giving them something to be proud of and to identify with. It’s bigger than sports.
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,” said Rayno, following his victory in Sacramento, California, becoming the first African to win the World’s Strongest Man competition, traditionally dominated by Europeans and North Americans, and part of an exclusive club of people who have done it on their first try.
All he needed was half a point to beat England’s Stoltman who finished second with 46.5 points with Canadian Mitchell Hooper coming in third with 43.5 points. He will take home millions in prize money as he prepares for the Strongman Champions League finals with 6 wins in 7 competitions under his belt since his career began. He hadn’t expected to win the big one, World’s Strongest Man, so soon, just two years after his professional rugby career came to an end. He was a burly flanker for the Cheetahs after a three-year stint as captain of CUT’s Varsity Cup side. Had his rugby career not ended in 2023, this director of engineering at Enfin Energy Finance – now doing his Masters in electrical engineering – would not have been representing his country, nine days after his 30th birthday, just hitting the prime age for professional strongmen.
Akani Simbine flies the flag with his running cleats. Tatjana Smith does it through the water. Tasneem Solomons does it with a cue stick. Rayno does it with brute strength amplified by the kind of mental strength one needs to move such heavy objects. There’s the Flintstone Press, the Hercules Hold, the Knaack Carry and Hoist, and the Atlas Stones. He didn’t win every event, but he didn’t need to.
Rayno’s Run
- October 2023 – 1st place at Africa’s Strongest Man
- Mat 2024 – 4th place at the Siberian Power Show
- June 2024 – 1st place at SCL Holland
- November 2024 – 1st place at SCL Africa
- November 2024 – 1st place at SCL World Finals in Turkey
- November 2024 – 1st place at Africa’s Strongest Man
- May 2025 – 1st place at World’s Strongest Man
Amajita Take Over Africa
After a flat start, Bafana Bafana’s little brothers, Amajita, overcame Morocco in the final of U20 African Cup of Nations, having lost to the same opponents in the 1997 final which included the likes of Benni McCarthy. They lost their first outing in the tournament against Egypt, on Freedom Day, and then beat Tunisia (1-0) in the next game with a goal from Shakeel April. Amajita made light work (4-1) of the Sierra Leone side which had come off a 4-1 win over Egypt.
Substitute Thabang Mahlangu’s goal was enough to beat Congo in the quarter-finals, adding to the two he’d scored against Sierra Leone, and booking Amajita’s ticket to the FIFA World Cup which will be held later this year in Chile. They had another close encounter in the semi-final against Nigeria. In the end it was Stellenbosch FC defender, Tylon Smith, who was later voted player of the tournament, who scored the only goal of the game that sent Amajita to the final.
Gomolemo Kekana scored the only goal in the final with an assist from Golden Glove winner Fletcher Smyth-Lowe, the only overseas-based player in the squad, who was also voted best goalkeeper at the COSAFA Cup tournament last year. He finished with four clean sheets and only three goals conceded in 7 games. Under the capable guidance of coach Raymond Mdaka, Amajita will head to Chile in September with confidence of being the best in Africa. They will need it with tough games ahead against European giants France, the USA, and New Caledonia.
What’s On In July
Rugby:
Men’s U20 World Championship
England U20 Men vs South Africa U20 Men – 4 July
South Africa U20 Men vs Scotland U20 Men – 9 July
July Internationals
Springboks Men vs Italy Men – 5 July
Springboks Men vs Italy Men – 12 July
Springboks Men vs Georgia Men – 19 July
Cricket
Zimbabwe Men vs Proteas Men (2nd test) – 6 – 10 July
Zimbabwe Men vs Proteas Men (T20) – 14 July
Proteas Men vs New Zealand Men (T20) – 16 July
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 (1st ODI) – 17 July
South Africa U19 vs Bangladesh U19 (2nd ODI) – 19 July
Zimbabwe Men vs South Africa (T20) – 20 July
SA U19 vs Bangladesh U19 (3rd ODI) – 22 July
New Zealand Men vs South Africa Men (T20) – 22 July
Motorsports
Formula 1
Great Britain GP – 6 July
Belgian GP – 27 July
Moto GP
German Cup -13 July
Czech Cup – 20 July
Sources: Supersport | TimesLive | News24 | Strongman Archives | DFA | SAFA | Farpost | WSM
