SA Sports Surge: Sports Wins Roundup 2025

🚀 Jamie Riddle – Triathlon Breakthrough Young triathlete Jamie Riddle made waves on the global stage, surging into the top 10 at a World Triathlon Series event. His seamless transitions and relentless pace underline South Africa’s rising dominance in multisport endurance.

🏉 Springboks Milestone & Victory Captain Siya Kolisi celebrated his 100th Test cap with a gritty 32–17 win over France in Paris (Nov 8). Down to 14 men after Lood de Jager’s red card, tries from Arendse, Kolbe and Etzebeth sealed a statement victory for the world champions.

⚽ U17 National Team Victories The Amajimbos kicked off their CAF U-17 AFCON campaign with a thrilling 4–3 win over Egypt (Oct 6), securing 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup qualification. In Qatar, they made history with a 3–1 triumph over Bolivia (Nov 3) — SA’s first-ever win at the tournament.

🚴 Wines2Whales Chardonnay Triumph Local riders owned the FNB Wines2Whales MTB stage race (Oct 31–Nov 2). Elite women’s teams, including defending champs Team Spur, swept stage wins across the stunning Lourensford-to-Hermanus trails.

🏏 Proteas Women Reach Historic World Cup Final The Proteas Women stormed to their first-ever ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final. Laura Wolvaardt’s unbeaten century powered 298/7 in the semi-final, crushing England by 125 runs. In the Nov 2 final, they fell 52 runs short chasing India’s 298, but a runner-up finish marks their deepest run yet.

🏅 Rayno Nel – World’s Strongest Man In May, Rayno Nel became the first South African to claim the 2025 World’s Strongest Man title in his debut. The 6'3", 326 lb giant dominated the Atlas Stones and more, adding to his Africa’s Strongest Man crown.

🏃 Athletics Relay Bronze At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (September), Lythe Pillay and Udeme Okon, alongside Wayde van Niekerk and Zakithi Nene, clinched bronze in the men’s 4x400m relay (2:57.83) — a proud return to the global podium.

🏅 Comrades Marathon Victories In June’s down run, Tete Dijana edged Piet Wiersma for his third Comrades win, while Gerda Steyn cruised to her fourth women’s title, both cementing their ultrarunning legacies.

Additional Highlights

  • Bafana Bafana qualified for AFCON 2025 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
  • Golden Arrows are red-hot: 5 wins in 6, 16 goals scored.
  • Mzansi Rugby League launched MzansiGuard — a new player welfare system.
  • SA faces Cook Islands in a Rugby League World Cup Qualifier (Nov 9).

What It All Means

  • Depth & Dedication: From triathlon and MTB to rugby, football, strongman, athletics and ultra-running, SA’s talent pool is world-class.
  • Milestones Matter: Kolisi’s 100 caps, Nel’s WSM crown, relay bronze and Proteas Women’s final run = legacy in motion.
  • Future is Bright: Youth wins, senior qualifications and endurance icons keep the pipeline flowing strong.
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