2020 was a difficult year for our members, it promised to be a successful year for our sport and all indications were that we would show major growth in participation numbers. However, COVID-19 came around and hit our sport hard. Being a full contact sport all activities were stopped and our members were left frustrated […]

It was in February 1975 when Manie started at Unicor Wrestling Club in Evander, (South Eastern Transvaal) Mpumalanga as a parent with his son Johan van den Berg starting out as a wrestler, age of 5 years. He became involved in wrestling administration almost immediately and during the club’s April 1975 Special General Meeting, Manie […]

Having taken cognisance of the outbreak and spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) at international and national level, the SAWF Executive Management is concerned about the health and safety of its own members. As a National Sport Federation, we have a responsibility to protect and act in the best interest of all our members including members […]

Despite receiving the news that the 2020 Africa/Oceania Qualifier has been postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Morocco the senior team is still hard at work with their preparations. This weekend they planned to do final preparations before departing for El-Jadida where they would have been in an acclimatization camp before taking on the […]

2019 has been a great year for the SAWF Referees’ council. Building on the United World Wrestling level 1 course held in December 2018 as part of the UWW Mega Week of Wrestling the council has managed to not only upgrade two of their international refereeing corps but also added two new referees to the […]

The current SAWF Referee council has since the start of their term in 2019 been actively involved in the development of referees in South Africa. The council is made up of some of experienced referees, with a good mix of international and national experience. Led by dynamic chairperson, Willem Gilliomee, who transformed the national referee […]

After years of training and many hours spent on the mat our senior team embark on the last stretch of their journey to achieve their Olympic dream on Wednesday 5th of February. The team is headed up by local hero and current Commonwealth Champion, Martin Erasmus and will take on some of Africa’s best wrestlers […]

The junior team departs on the 3rd of February to Algeria where they will be taking on the rest of Africa in a tough Continental Championships. The team is made up of a good mixture of youth and experience with current cadet continental champions Fernando Booysen and Arno van Zilj joining their junior team mates […]

Willem Giliomee and Charles Villet will be representing South Africa at this year’s Continental Championships in Algeria.   Willem is the current chairperson of the SAWF Referee’s council and has recently been promoted to a Category 1 United World Wrestling Referee.    Charles is the current Vice Chairperson of the council and South Africa’s only […]

SAWF are proud of our young wrestlers departing to Algeria today and we would like to wish them well on their quest for glory at the 2020 Continental Championships. This years team is young but ready for the challenges that this year’s African Championships holds for them. The Greco Roman and Ladies team will start […]