Malcolm Marx has capped off a stunning 2025, clinching the SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year gong to go with his World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year Award.
It’s the second time in his career that the Springboks hooker has claimed the award, having done so back in 2017. Meanwhile, Women’s Boks star Nadine Roos claimed the double by being named SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year for a second successive season.
Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks were also honoured for a brilliant 2025 season, by taking the awards for Coach and Team of the Year after successfully defending the Rugby Championship title while winning 11 of their 13 Tests.
Award Winners
Marx beat Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ox Nche, and Jasper Wiese to the top men’s award. In doing so, he denied Du Toit and Feinberg-Mngomezulu historic feats as the former was in line to break Bryan Habana’s record as a three-time winner of the award, whilst the latter could have become just the third player to win the men’s and young player of the year awards in the same year. Marx achieved that feat in 2017, with Ashwin Willemse doing so in 2003.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu didn’t go home completely empty-handed as he collected the SA URC Player of the Year Award after Ethan Hooker claimed the award for SA Rugby Men’s Young Player of the Year.
Roos was voted the outstanding female player in South Africa in a season where the Springbok Women reached the Rugby World Cup playoffs for the first time. The other finalists were Byrhandré Dolf, Aseza Hele, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, and Babalwa Latsha.
Celebrating the success of women’s rugby, two new awards were added to the roster on Thursday, with Roos also taking the crown as Springbok Women’s Sevens Player of the Year, while Byrhandré Dolf – herself a dual-international – was named as the first winner of the SA Rugby Young Women’s Player of the Year award.
Shilton van Wyk (Springbok Sevens Men’s Player of the Year) and Haashim Pead (Junior Springbok Player of the Year) were also honoured for their brilliant performances in green and gold in 2025.
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Message from Mark Alexander
Mr Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby, congratulated the winners for their outstanding contributions to what was arguably the finest year in the history of South African rugby.
“Malcolm led the charge for the Springboks and richly deserves this accolade alongside his World Rugby Player of the Year Award, while Nadine was the spark that ignited the finest season we have ever witnessed from our Springbok Women,” said Mr Alexander.
“The year 2025 will remain etched in our memories for decades to come, thanks to Rassie, Siya and the Springboks. Yet it was not only the senior team that shone—every one of our national sides delivered and we are immensely proud of all the winners.
“Beyond the Bok Women raising the bar to unprecedented heights, the Junior Boks captured the U20 World Championship for the first time since 2012 and the Blitzboks triumphed in the HSBC SVNS World Championship. Together, these achievements made 2025 not only a golden year, but the best year in the history of SA Rugby
“Our rugby is thriving at franchise, provincial and club level, which bodes well for the season ahead. Congratulations to all the winners and to every team, coach and player across South Africa and the best of luck for the new season – may we continue to spread hope and happiness.”
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Further gongs
Furthermore, on the domestic front, Donavan Don of Boland Kavaliers (Carling Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year), Andrew Kota of the Griffons (Carling Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year) and Patience Mokone of the Bulls Daisies (Provincial Women’s Player of the Year) walked away with awards.
Erasmus and Kolisi, as well as the recently retired Springbok Women’s captain Nolusindiso Booi, were amongst a group of six people who received special recognition awards at the Awards.
Kolisi received the Spirit of ’95 Award for his “exceptional contribution in uplifting the game and the nation, through the example of inclusivity and ubuntu, demonstrating iconic and inspirational leadership to the sport and the country, in the footsteps of the example set by Nelson Mandela in 1995”.
The Springbok Legacy Award, recognising the “extraordinary contribution made by an individual to promote and enhance the standing of Springbok rugby as a force on the field and a power off it by promoting excellence and inclusion to inspire social cohesion, and provide a legacy for the game such that it will resonate throughout the history of South Africa”, was awarded to Erasmus, who also reached 50 Tests as head coach of the Boks last year, only the second person to achieve this milestone.
Furthermore Booi, who retired after the 2025 season, was honoured for reaching 50 Test caps, the first Springbok Women’s player to achieve the feat, while three members of the Springbok management, team manager Charles Wessels (200 Tests), assistant coach Mzwandile Stick (100 Tests), and technical analyst Lindsay Weyer (100 Tests) were also honoured for their achievements.
SA Rugby Awards 2025 winners and finalists (where applicable):
SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year: Malcolm Marx
Finalists: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ox Nche, Jasper Wiese
SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year: Nadine Roos
Finalists: Byrhandré Dolf, Aseza Hele, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Babalwa Latsha
SA Rugby Young Men’s Player of the Year: Ethan Hooker
Finalists: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Canan Moodie, Haashim Pead, Zachary Porthen
SA Rugby Young Women’s Player of the Year: Byrhandré Dolf
Finalists: Patience Mokone, Nombuyekezo Mdliki, Anushka Groenewald
Springbok Men’s Sevens Player of the Year: Shilton van Wyk
Finalists: Selvyn Davids, Impi Visser
Springbok Women’s Sevens Player of the Year: Nadine Roos
Junior Springbok Player of the Year: Haashim Pead
Finalists: Cheswill Jooste, Riley Norton
Team of the Year: Springboks
Finalists: Junior Springboks, Springbok Sevens
Coach of the Year: Rassie Erasmus (Springboks)
Finalists: Swys de Bruin (Springbok Women), Kevin Foote (Junior Springboks), Philip Snyman (Springbok Sevens)
FNB Fans’ Moment of the Year: The Springboks’ record victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand
Carling Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year: Donavan Don (Sanlam Boland Kavaliers)
Finalists: Gurshwin Wehr (Suzuki Griquas), George Whitehead (Suzuki Griquas)
Carling Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year: Andrew Kota (NovaVit Griffons)
Finalists: Keagan Fortune (Valke), Willem van den Hever (NovaVit Griffons)
Provincial Women’s Player of the Year: Patience Mokone (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
SA Vodacom URC Player of the Season (announced last year): Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers)
OUTsurance Referee of the Year: Aimee Barrett-Theron
President’s Award: Gavin Varejes
Spirit of ’95 Award: Siya Kolisi
Springbok Legacy Award: Rassie Erasmus
SA Rugby Associate Member of the Year: SA Wheelchair Rugby
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