Rebel Renegade Games: Everything You Need To Know

Rebel Renegade Games stands as one of only nine In-Person Qualifying Events for the 2025 CrossFit Games season. This competition, scheduled from May 29 to June 1, 2025, at the Emerald Resort & Casino in Johannesburg, South Africa, offers a coveted prize—one male and one female athlete will secure direct invitations to the 2025 CrossFit Games.

What makes this event particularly significant is its exclusive focus on athletes with passports from African countries or the United Arab Emirates, as well as those who train and live in these regions. The competition will feature 40 men and 40 women in individual divisions, alongside 30 teams in a 4-person affiliate competition. After hosting the Africa Semifinals for the past two seasons, the Rebel Renegade Games has established itself as a cornerstone event in the CrossFit qualification pathway.

Rebel Renegade Games Dates

The four-day competition schedule for the Rebel Renegade Games has been officially announced, running from Thursday, May 29 through Sunday, June 1, 2025. Each day features a structured lineup of events for individual male, individual female, and team divisions. Here’s the comprehensive breakdown:

Day 1 (Thursday, May 29) begins with athlete registration at 8:00 AM, followed by team briefing at 3:00 PM and individual briefing at 4:00 PM. The competition kicks off with Event 1, starting with teams at 5:30 PM, individual males at 6:43 PM, and individual females at 7:19 PM.

Day 2 (Friday, May 30) features a packed schedule with Events 2, 3, and 4 for all divisions. The day starts at 9:00 AM with team competition and continues until approximately 8:00 PM when the individual female division completes Event 4.

Day 3 (Saturday, May 31) maintains the intensity with Events 5, 6, and 7. The action begins at 10:00 AM with team competition and concludes around 6:45 PM after the individual female division finishes Event 7.

Day 4 (Sunday, June 1) wraps up the Rebel Renegade Games with the final two events. Competition starts early at 8:30 AM with team Event 8 and continues through the day, concluding with the individual female division’s Event 9 at 2:29 PM.

How to Watch Rebel Renegade Games

For spectators planning to attend the event live, the competition takes place at the Emerald Resort & Casino in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. Located approximately 70 kilometers south of Johannesburg, the venue provides an electric atmosphere for witnessing elite CrossFit athletes push their physical limits across four days of intense competition.

Those unable to attend in person can still experience every moment through the official live stream. The REBEL Renegade Games YouTube channel serves as the primary broadcast platform for the event. The organizers have structured the coverage into daily broadcasts, with separate streams for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4 of the competition. This format allows viewers to follow the progression of athletes throughout the entire competition weekend.

Additionally, digital spectators can download the official Rebel Renegade Games App, available on both the App Store and Google Play. The app provides real-time access to the competition leaderboard, allowing fans to track the standings of their favorite athletes throughout each event. The app also contains the full weekend schedule, making it easier to plan viewing around specific divisions or athletes.

Rebel Renegade Games Workouts

The competition format at the Rebel Renegade Games presents a rigorous test of fitness with nine challenging workouts spread across four days of intense competition. Athletes first faced a demanding qualification process through an online qualifier held between April 3-7, where competitors completed in six workouts to earn their spot at the main event. Only the top 20 men and top 20 women from this initial phase advance to the in-person competition.

(More details to be added)

Rebel Renegade Games Roster

The women’s division features several standout competitors. Sara Sigmundsdottir, marked with an asterisk indicating her special status, headlines the female roster. The Icelandic legend brings over a decade of experience to Johannesburg, having qualified for six consecutive CrossFit Games with two podium finishes. Although injuries have kept her from returning to the Games since 2020, she finished 15th in the 2025 Open and remains a formidable competitor.

Other notable women include Christina Livaditakis from Zimbabwe, who has finished fourth and second in the last two Africa Semifinals, and Evie Hollis, who finished sixth last year at the Far East Throwdown while competing out of the UAE. The men’s division boasts equally impressive talent. Toby Buckland, also marked with an asterisk, competes out of the UAE despite hailing from the UK. He secured second place to Luka Ðukić at the 2024 Dubai Fitness Championship.

Veteran Lukas Högberg returns to competition with an impressive resume that includes a third-place podium finish at the 2018 CrossFit Games. With five Games appearances and seven Semifinals under his belt, his experience makes him a serious contender. Michael van Tonder represents another strong competitor who finished 310th in the 2025 Open and ninth at last year’s Africa Semifinal. He previously competed at the 2023 CrossFit Games in Madison with his team, Cape CrossFit Wolfpack.

Only one male and one female will ultimately earn qualification to the 2025 CrossFit Games, making this roster of regional talent all the more competitive as they battle for limited spots on the sport’s biggest stage.

Athletes to Watch at Rebel Renegade Games

Ruan Potgieter and Gemma Rader, who both qualified for their first CrossFit Games appearance in 2024, enter as favorites to secure return trips given their previous success. However, several high-caliber athletes stand ready to challenge them.

In the women’s division, Sara Sigmundsdottir brings impressive credentials to Johannesburg. The Icelandic legend boasts over a decade of experience, six consecutive Games qualifications, and two podium finishes. Despite facing injuries that have kept her from returning to the Games since 2020, she finished 15th in the 2025 Open and remains a formidable competitor.

Christina Livaditakis from Zimbabwe has steadily climbed the regional ranks, finishing fourth and second in the previous two Africa Semifinals. Given her consistent improvement, many consider her poised for a breakthrough. Evie Hollis, competing out of UAE, finished sixth at last year’s Far East Throwdown and brings valuable experience to the field.

On the men’s side, Toby Buckland, who trains in UAE but hails from the UK, deserves attention after finishing second to Luka Ðukić at the 2024 Dubai Fitness Championship. Lukas Högberg returns to competition with an impressive resume including a third-place podium finish at the 2018 CrossFit Games, where he tied in points with Brent Fikowski but won on tiebreaker.

Michael van Tonder, who finished 310th in the 2025 Open and ninth at last year’s Africa Semifinal, brings team experience having competed at the 2023 CrossFit Games with Cape CrossFit Wolfpack. The competition features other notable athletes training in Dubai who could impact the leaderboard, including Bruno Marins, who qualified for the 2024 CrossFit Games out of South America, and Kalyan Souza.

Final Words

Beyond the individual performances and competitive drama, the Rebel Renegade Games represents a crucial development for CrossFit in Africa and the Middle East. For athletes across these regions, this event serves as the exclusive in-person qualifying opportunity for the 2025 CrossFit Games. This regional focus highlights the growing global reach of CrossFit while providing athletes from traditionally underrepresented areas their moment in the spotlight.