Marx Joins Elite Club As He Bags SA Rugby’s Top Gong A Second Time  

The definition of the total package, Marx was phenomenal in the Green and Gold throughout the back-to-back world champions’ excellent 2025 campaign and was honoured as the World Rugby Player of the Year.

A powerhouse in the tight exchanges, a master in the set pieces and a menace at the breakdown, the 31-year-old combines brute strength, relentless work rate and world-class skill.

In 2025, he reminded everyone why he’s one of the most feared forwards in the game, delivering machine-like accuracy in the set phases, timely turnovers and crucial tries. Whether carrying hard, stealing possession or leading the defensive line, Marx didn’t just play the game – he dominated it.

Having first claimed the most prestigious award in South African rugby in 2017, Marx’s crowning moment on Thursday night saw him enter an elite club of multi-time winners, joining Schalk Burger (2004 & 2011), Bryan Habana (2005 & 2007), Fourie du Preez (2006 & 2009), Jean de Villiers (2008 & 2013), Duane Vermeulen (2014 & 2020) Eben Etzebeth (2022 & 2023) and the only three-time winner Pieter-Steph du Toit (2016, 2018 and 2019).

Also nominated for the award were the duo of Du Toit and Ox Nche, both of whom were also nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year award, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Jasper Wiese.

The Young Player of the Year award went to prodigious utility back Ethan Hooker. Four of the five players who were nominated for the award played Test rugby in 2025 – Hooker, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Canan Moodie and Zachary Porthen – while the fifth, Haashim Pead, played a key role for the Junior Springboks in their World Rugby Under-20 Championship triumph.

Pead scooped the Junior Springbok Player of the Year, seeing off South African Under-20 captain Riley Norton and Cheswill Jooste, with Shilton van Wyk winning the Springbok Sevens Player of the Year award ahead of Selvyn Davids and Impi Visser, all of whom were part of the Blitzbok squad that won the SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles in May.

Stormers standout Feinberg-Mngomezulu beat Bulls duo Cameron Hanekom and Wilco Louw to the South African United Rugby Championship Player of the Year award, while Donavan Don of the Boland Kavaliers and Andrew Kota of the Griffons were named Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year and Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year, respectively.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus won the Coach of the Year award ahead of Blitzboks mentor Philip Snyman, Junior Springbok boss Kevin Foote and Springbok women’s coach Swys de Bruin, while the Springboks beat the Blitzboks and Junior Springboks to the Team of the Year award.

On the women’s side, Nadine Roos was named Player of the Year for the second successive year, with Patience Mokone of the Bulls Daisies bagging the Provincial Women’s Player of the Year award.

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 Young Women’s Player of the Year award.

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

SA Rugby Player of the Year winners (since 1992):

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

2025: Malcolm Marx

SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year winners:

2004: Ronwin Kelly

2005: Ingrid Botha

2006: Mandisa Williams

2007: Natasha Hoffmeester

2008: Lorinda Brown

2009: Saloma Booysen

2010: Dolly Mavungwana

2011: Cebisa Kula

2012: Yolanda Meiring

2013: Zenay Jordaan

2014: Fundiswa Plaatjie

2015: Veroeshka Grain

2016: Marithy Pienaar

2017: Babalwa Latsha

2018: Nolusindiso Booi

2019: Aseza Hele

2021: Lusanda Dumke

2022: Nadine Roos

2023: Libbie Janse van Rensburg

2024: Nadine Roos

2025: Nadine Roos

SA Rugby Young Player of the Year winners:

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

2025: Ethan Hooker

Springbok Sevens Men’s Player of the Year winners:

2001: Andre Pretorius

2002: Brent Russell

2003: Marius Schoeman

2004: Kabamba Floors

2005: Stefan Basson

2006: Stefan Basson

2007: Mzwandile Stick

2008: Renfred Dazel

2009: Frankie Horne

2010: Kyle Brown

2011: Cecil Afrika

2012: Cecil Afrika

2013: Cornal Hendricks

2014: Seabelo Senatla

2015: Werner Kok

2016: Seabelo Senatla

2017: Rosko Specman

2018: Dylan Sage

2019: Siviwe Soyizwapi

2020: Stedman Gans

2021: Ronald Brown

2022: JC Pretorius

2023: Ricardo Duarttee

2024: Selvyn Davids

2025: Shilton van Wyk