With three South Africans nominated, the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year award was always set to stay in green and gold, and Malcolm Marx emerged victorious.
Dublin, Ireland (24 November 2025) – It was arguably likely that a South African would take the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year award in 2025. After all, three of the four nominees hailed from the Springboks. And it was Malcolm Marx who claimed the honour, cementing his place in an elite club alongside South African greats like Schalk Burger, Bryan Habana, and Pieter-Steph du Toit.
The Springbok hooker’s journey to the top came seven years after his first nomination, and it’s been a year to remember. Malcom started 11 tests in 2025, scoring four tries in the Rugby Championship alone, including a crucial second-half brace at Twickenham against Argentina that helped South Africa secure back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time.
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His standout performances were not limited to the Rugby Championship. On the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour, the Springboks overpowered Ireland 24-13 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Malcolm’s power was key this past weekend, helping South Africa dominate a physically intense game where discipline from the home side broke down under pressure. This resulted in multiple sin bins and a 20-minute red card.
Joining Malcolm in the nominations were fellow Springboks Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ox Nché, alongside France’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey, making it a largely green-and-gold affair.
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The World Rugby Awards also celebrated other international stars, with New Zealand’s Fabian Holland and Chile’s Santiago Pedrero taking honours in the men’s categories, and the Women’s 15s awards having been unveiled earlier this year following the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
But for Malcolm, he capped off a season of Springbok dominance with top honours.
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