Malcolm Marx, pictured, and Nadine Roos take home the top honours at the 2025 SA Rugby Awards, while Rassie Erasmus finally claims Coach of the Year. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Current World Rugby’s Player of the Year, Malcolm Marx, added another achievement to his individual accolades on Thursday night, after being honoured with his second SA Rugby Player of the Year award.
Marx beat out fellow Springboks and teammates Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ox Nche, and Jasper Wiese to the 2025 award. The 31-year-old, who also won the award in 2017, joins an illustrious group of players that includes Du Toit, Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez, Jean de Villiers, Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth to have won the top rugby award in the country twice or more.
Springbok Women superstar Nadine Roos, meanwhile, joined him in receiving the prestigious SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year award, as well as the Springbok Women’s Sevens Player of the Year award.
Springbok Women utility-back Nadine Roos. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Last year was a breakout year for the women’s side as they reached the quarter-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The versatile Roos was instrumental in that historic achievement, while also helping the Sevens side to promotion to the SVNS2 circuit as the team’s top scorer.
Unsurprisingly, the Springboks won the Team of the Year honour, while coach Rassie Erasmus — snubbed by World Rugby in recent years despite dominating the Test arena — walked away with the Coach of the Year award after winning 11 of the 13 Tests in 2025.
After a stellar year in the Green and Gold, 23-year-old Ethan Hooker of the Sharks received the SA Rugby Young Player of the Year award.
Rising star Byrhandré Dolf, meanwhile, won the women’s award in the same category. Elsewhere, Junior Springboks and Lions scrumhalf Haashim Pead won the Junior Player of the Year award after his Player of the Tournament performance at the 2025 World Rugby U20 Championship.
In a year that witnessed many milestones and successes, including a record 43-10 defeat of the All Blacks in Wellington, SA Rugby president Mark Alexander was rightly chuffed at the achievements of both players and teams
Said Alexander, via statement, on Thursday: “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.
“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 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."
Currently, the Stormers, Lions and Bulls are in the Top 8 of the United Rugy Championship. The Boks, meanwhile, have congregated in Cape Town for the international season's first alignment camp under Erasmus.
The men's senior national team begin their Test season in July against England, followed by Scotland and Wales. They will also play a four-match Test series against the All Blacks later this year in the Greatest Rivalry Tour.