Malcolm Marx has capped off a stunning 2025, clinching the SA Rugby Men\u2019s Player of the Year gong to go with his World Rugby Men\u2019s Player of the Year Award.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the second time in his career that the Springboks<\/a> hooker has claimed the award, having done so back in 2017. Meanwhile, Women\u2019s Boks star Nadine Roos claimed the double by being named SA Rugby Women\u2019s Player of the Year for a second successive season.<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Award Winners<\/p>\n Marx<\/a> beat Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ox Nche, and Jasper Wiese to the top men\u2019s award. In doing so, he denied Du Toit and Feinberg-Mngomezulu historic feats as the former was in line to break Bryan Habana\u2019s record as a three-time winner of the award, whilst the latter could have become just the third player to win the men\u2019s and young player of the year awards in the same year. Marx achieved that feat in 2017, with Ashwin Willemse doing so in 2003.<\/p>\n Feinberg-Mngomezulu didn\u2019t 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\u2019s Young Player of the Year.<\/p>\n 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 Byrhandr\u00e9 Dolf, Aseza Hele, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, and Babalwa Latsha.<\/p>\n Celebrating the success of women\u2019s rugby, two new awards were added to the roster on Thursday, with Roos also taking the crown as Springbok Women\u2019s Sevens Player of the Year, while Byrhandr\u00e9 Dolf \u2013 herself a dual-international \u2013 was named as the first winner of the SA Rugby Young Women\u2019s Player of the Year award.<\/p>\n Shilton van Wyk (Springbok Sevens Men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n SA Rugby boss: Why New Zealand and South Africa may never host a Rugby World Cup again<\/a><\/p>\n Message from Mark Alexander<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cMalcolm 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,\u201d said Mr Alexander.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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\u2014every one of our national sides delivered and we are immensely proud of all the winners.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond 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<\/p>\n \u201cOur 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 \u2013 may we continue to spread hope and happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n Tony Brown\u2019s simple message to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to help him regain his best form<\/a><\/p>\n Further gongs<\/p>\n 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\u2019s Player of the Year) walked away with awards.<\/p>\n Erasmus and Kolisi, as well as the recently retired Springbok Women\u2019s captain Nolusindiso Booi, were amongst a group of six people who received special recognition awards at the Awards.<\/p>\n Kolisi received the Spirit of \u201995 Award for his \u201cexceptional 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\u201d.<\/p>\n The Springbok Legacy Award, recognising the \u201cextraordinary 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\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n Furthermore Booi, who retired after the 2025 season, was honoured for reaching 50 Test caps, the first Springbok Women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n