Rayno Nel competing for 'World Strongest Man' as wildcard, and winning, is 'surreal'

CapeTalk's Clarence Ford speaks to Rugby365 Editor Jan de Koning.

Listen below:

On Sunday (18 May), former professional rugby player Rayno Nel was crowned the 'World's Strongest Man' during his debut in the competition in Sacramento, California, becoming the first African to hold the title.

Before his latest title, Nel was a Cheetahs loose forward and captain of the Central University of Technology, Free State, team.

The 30-year-old, 148 kilograms South African edged defending champion Tom Stoltman by just half a point in the two-day final to claim the title.

Nel is also the first African to compete and win at the event since 1997.

He entered the competition as a 'wildcard' that went on to win, says De Koning.

De Koning explains that it's 'surreal' for Nel to be crowned the winner.

While Ford suggests the win could be attributed to a proudly South African diet of pap and vleis, De Koning says he reached out to Nel's former coach, Andre Bester, to find out more.

"He [Bester] said to me that from the outset, he was more than just a sportsman, he was a leader on every field... he played lock for CUT and he was their captain, he was a proper leader. He [Bester] shared with me a story... he said, his [Nel] knee was injured during a game and was lying there being treated and he saw that he had the chance of winning their first game, so he jumped up, called the line-out and they went and scored and won their first game in the Varsity Cup... so that's just the type of person that he is..."

- Jan de Koning, Editor - Rugby365

"It's just on another level... he clearly is more than a rugby player... he's like a man-mountain... at the peak of his physique."

- Jan de Koning, Editor - Rugby365

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Rayno Nel competing for 'World Strongest Man' as wildcard, and winning, is 'surreal' - Jan de Koning, Rugby365

The former South African professional rugby player picked up weights of about 500 kilograms and pulled a 16,000-kilogram truck for 25 meters in 33 seconds.