Tadhg Beirne has been selected as Ireland’s sole representative in World Rugby’s Dream Team of the year for 2025.
The Munster forward has been selected off the back of a stellar year for both club, country and the Lions. The Kildare native was selected as the player of the series as the British & Irish Lions won their first Test series in 12 years, beating the Wallabies 2-1 down under.
He has also been one of the most consistent performers in green as well, and despite his harsh but costly red card against the All Blacks in Chicago, Tadhg Beirne has been sensational. It’s the third time he has made the team of the year after accomplishing it in 2022 and 2024.
Tadhg Beirne with the Qatar Airways series trophy. Pic: ames Crombie/INPHO
The forward pack is dominated by the Springboks with an all-South African front row of Ox Nché, World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit.
Then Tadhg Beirne is joined by his Lions teammates and captain Maro Itoje, with his English teammate Tom Curry in the back row, alongside former two-time Player of the Year Peter-Steph du Toit and Wallabies captain Harry Wilson.
All Blacks Cam Roigard is in at 9 as the new Springboks star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu plants himself on the world stage with his selection at fly-half at just 23 years old.
Malcolm Marx of South Africa. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
In the centres, it’s Wallabies and Exeter Chiefs man Len Ikitau and Scotland and Glasgow Warriors centre Huw Jones who got selected.
Meanwhile, in this hypothetical team, there is quite possibly the most electrifying back three of Louis Bielle-Biarrey as the only Frenchman to be selected, Springboks legend Cheslin Kolbe and All Blacks fullback Will Jordan, rounding out the team.
As well as Marx winning the Player of the Year award, All Blacks lock Fabian Holland won the other individual award, the Breakthrough Player of the Year, after he established himself as one of the perennial second rows in the sport.
Holland has a fascinating story where he fell in love with rugby back in his homeland of the Netherlands, and after being inspired by an All Blacks 7s camp as a teenager, he moved to New Zealand in 2019 to chase his dream of being a pro player.
Coach of the Year went to England’s Women’s coach John Mitchell, and Women’s Player of the Year went to Canadian lock Sophie de Goede, with Women’s Breakthrough Player of the Year going to New Zealand’s Braxton Sorensen-McGee.