Former Cheetah crowned World's Strongest Man

NEWS: Former Central University of Technology and Cheetah loose forward Rayno Nel was crowned the World’s Strongest Man in Sacramento, California on Sunday.

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The incredible victory saw Nel become the first man outside of Europe or North America to claim the coveted title in the competition’s 48-year history.

He is also the first rookie to claim the title since 1997.

“I’m just over the moon,” Nel told USA Today.

“To represent [South Africa] in any way whatsoever, it feels surreal. I mean, we are a small country with a lot of struggles.

“To have something like this I know means a lot to my people.”

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Nel admitted that rugby was the only sport he saw himself participating in.

However, his competitive side pushed him to give Strongman a try after realising he was much stronger than his peers on the rugby pitch.

“Rugby was what I thought I would do for my sports career. I didn’t think I’d do any sport again,” Nel said.

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“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.”

Image credit @WSM


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