Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is on course to achieve something no Springbok has achieved since Malcolm Marx in 2016.
On Friday, SA Rugby announced the nominees for the union’s 2025 awards, with the generational talent featuring on the shortlist for two gongs: the Men’s and Young Player of the Year Awards.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu played 11 Tests for the Springboks last year, starting eight of those encounters with South Africa winning every one of the games he donned the number 10 jumper.
On the cusp of historic double
The Bok youngster enjoyed a stunning year in Green and Gold, crossing for his first try in the fixture against Argentina in the Rugby Championship in Durban – a game in which he scored a hat-trick and broke Percy Montgomery’s record for the most points scored by a Bok player in a Test match.
He scored further tries in wins over Japan (2), France, Ireland and Wales (2), breaking the record for the most tries scored by a Springbok fly-half (9).
In the history of the Men’s and Young Player of the Year Awards, only two Springboks have managed to clinch both gongs in the same season; former winger Ashwin Willemse became the first in 2003 – when he also collected the now-defunct Most Promising Player of the Year.
It took 13 years for that feat to be repeated when hooker Marx, who was crowned World Rugby Player of the Year in 2025, took home both of the gongs in his debut Springboks season.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has the opportunity to follow in the duo’s footsteps but faces stiff competition for both awards. He has nominated along with Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ox Nche and Jasper Wiese for the top prize – the Men’s Player of the Year.
Du Toit is a three-time winner of the award, a joint Springbok record with Bryan Habana, while Marx is in line to clinch the gong for just the second time. Nche has been nominated previously, as recently as 2024, but he and Wiese will be aiming to take the top prize for the first time.
The competition for the Young Player of the Year Award is equally stacked with Feinberg-Mngomezulu nominated alongside fellow Springboks Ethan Hooker, Canan Moodie and Zachary Porthen, as well as Junior Boks star Haashim Pead.
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
Moodie will be chasing his own bit of history as he could become the very first player to secure the award three times. The 23-year-old won the title in his first two years as a Springbok, the latter of which he won the 2023 Rugby World Cup and was succeeded by Feinberg-Mngomezulu the following year.
Other multiple winners include Eben Etzebeth (2012 and 2013) and Marx (2016 and 2017).
The MAJOR impact Scott Robertson’s All Blacks exit could have on Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks
Past winners of the SA Rugby Young Player of the Year Award
2001: Conrad Jantjes
2002: Pedrie Wannenburg
2003: Ashwin Willemse
2004: Bryan Habana
2005: Jongi Nokwe
2006: Pierre Spies
2007: Frans Steyn
2008: Robert Ebersohn
2009: Heinrich Brussow
2010: Elton Jantjies
2011: Pat Lambie
2012: Eben Etzebeth
2013: Eben Etzebeth
2014: Handre Pollard
2015: Jesse Kriel
2016: Malcolm Marx
2017: Malcolm Marx
2018: Sbu Nkosi
2019: Herschel Jantjies
2020: Wandisile Simelane
2021: Aphelele Fassi
2022: Canan Moodie
2023: Canan Moodie
2024: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
All Blacks legend: Springboks would be ‘stupid’ to let Tony Brown leave
Past winners of the SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year Award
1992: Tiaan Strauss
1993: Gavin Johnson
1994: Chester Williams
1995: Ruben Kruger
1996: André Joubert
1997: Os du Randt
1998: Gary Teichmann
1999: André Venter
2000: Breyton Paulse
2001: André Vos
2002: Joe van Niekerk
2003: Ashwin Willemse
2004: Schalk Burger
2005: Bryan Habana
2006: Fourie du Preez
2007: Bryan Habana
2008: Jean de Villiers
2009: Fourie du Preez
2010: Gurthrö Steenkamp
2011: Schalk Burger
2012: Bryan Habana
2013: Jean de Villiers
2014: Duane Vermeulen
2015: Lood de Jager
2016: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2017: Malcolm Marx
2018: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2019: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2020: Duane Vermeulen
2021: Siya Kolisi
2022: Eben Etzebeth
2023: Eben Etzebeth
2024: Cheslin Kolbe
With thanks to SA Rugby for information.
READ MORE: Springboks and All Blacks ‘close to an agreement’ for Greatest Rivalry series finale’s venue