Malcom Marx wins World Rugby Player of the Year 2025
The South African hooker Malcom Marx has been awarded the World Rugby Player of the Year for 2025. The announcement consolidates the outstanding season of the Springboks player.
Marx surpassed his teammates Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ox Nche, as well as French winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, to obtain the prestigious recognition as the best player in the world.
This achievement marks a significant milestone, as Marx is the first hooker since Keith Wood, winner of the inaugural award in 2001, to obtain this title.
Marx’s coronation as Player of the Year adds to his recognition as Player of the Match in the 24-13 victory over Ireland on Saturday.
Pieter-Steph du Toit aimed to become the first South African, and only the third player in history after Dan Carter and Richie McCaw, to win the award three times, following his victories in 2019 and 2024.Fabian Holland, from New Zealand, was named World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year for 2025.
The All Blacks second row, Fabian Holland, took home the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award, beating England’s Henry Pollock, South African center Ethan Hooker and Joseph-Aukuso Suali’i.
This is the third consecutive year that an All Black has won the award, following in the footsteps of Mark Tele’a in 2023 and Wallace Sititi the previous year. This raises the total record to five New Zealand winners in the nine times the award has been given.
