Men’s Rugby’s brightest stars were celebrated yesterday during an exciting day of international test rugby, with South Africa’s Malcolm Marx, New Zealand’s Fabian Holland and Chile’s Santiago Pedrero taking home top honours in the men’s categories.
The annual World Rugby awards recognised the outstanding performances and breakthrough talents that have lit up the international stage in the past calendar year.
The highly anticipated World Rugby Dream Team of the Year will be unveiled on Tuesday, 25 November, showcasing the standout performers from across the rugby world, while the women categories were unveiled last September after Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year: Malcolm Marx (South Africa): At the second time of asking and seven years after his first nomination, Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx joins two-time winner and fellow 2025 nominee Pieter-Steph du Toit, as well as Schalk Burger and Bryan Habana in an exclusive club of South African World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year winners. Marx has been a crucial cog in a dominant South Africa squad in 2025, starting 11 tests this year to date, and scoring four tries in the Rugby Championship alone. His second-half brace at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in October, helped the Springboks come from behind against Argentina to claim back-to-back titles for the first time.
Nominees: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ox Nché, Louis Bielle-Biarrey
World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year: Fabian Holland (New Zealand): Modest Dutch-born All Black Fabian Holland has insisted he’s “just the middle part” of a world-class lineout set-up who only “has to jump and catch the ball”, but the 23-year-old Highlander has made the step up to test rugby look much easier than jumping and catching. He has rapidly become the go-to player at the lineout and has featured in 11 of New Zealand’s 12 internationals this year, only missing November’s loss to England with illness. But it’s not just his undeniable aerial skills that have caught the eye. His work-rate and no-backward-step physicality quickly ensured his name is an early addition to the team sheet, and have made him the sixth All Black to be named Breakthrough Player of the Year, and, after Maro Itoje in 2016, the second second-row to win the award.
Nominees: Ethan Hooker, Henry Pollock, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
International Rugby Players Association Men’s 15s Try of the Year: Santiago Pedrero (Chile, v Samoa, South America/Pacific Play-off, RWC 2027 qualifier – September): Team team tries don’t come any better than the one scored by Chile’s Santiago Pedrero against Samoa in the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 qualifying play-off. A pass off the deck suddenly ignited an attack that the Pacific Islanders seemed to have contained. One offload, then another, an inside pass, then back outside, allowed the second row to waltz to the line.
Nominees: Santiago Cordero (Argentina, v British and Irish Lions – June), Lekima Tagitagivalu (Fiji, v Australia, men’s international – July), Tupou Vaa’i (New Zealand, v France, men’s international – July)
World Rugby Women’s Awards 2025:
World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year in partnership with Asahi: 1. Hannah Botterman (England), 2. Emily Tuttosi (Canada), 3. Maud Muir (England), 4. Sophie de Goede (Canada), 5. Abbie Ward (England), 6. Alex Matthews (England), 7. Jorja Miller (New Zealand), 8. Kaipo Olsen-Baker (New Zealand), 9. Justine Pelletier (Canada), 10. Zoe Harrison (England), 11. Joanna Grisez (France), 12. Sylvia Brunt (New Zealand), 13. Megan Zones (England), 14. Braxton Sorensen-McGee (New Zealand), 15. Ellie Kildunne (England).
International Rugby Players Association Women’s 15s Try of the Year
Maia Joseph (New Zealand v Ireland, RWC 2025 pool match, 7 September): Maia Joseph’s try in the 81st minute during New Zealand’s 40-0 victory over Ireland in the Pool C decider match was a standout moment. With the match nearing its conclusion, Jorja Miller broke down the right wing and offloaded to Joseph, who finished the spectacular play. This try capped a dominant performance by the Black Ferns that saw them advance to the knockout stage of the tournament as pool winners.
World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year 2025 in partnership with HSBC: Canada second-row Sophie de Goede has been crowned Player of the Year after a standout Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign, guiding her team to the final at Allianz Stadium. Returning from an ACL injury in July, De Goede excelled as both a leader and a points scorer, finishing the tournament with 61 points from three tries, a penalty, and 20 conversions. Her skill, resilience, and influence on the field were key to Canada’s run.
World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year 2025: Teenage sensation Braxton Sorensen-McGee has been named Breakthrough Player of the Year after a standout Women’s Rugby World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s top points scorer with 69, including 11 tries – only the third player to reach double figures in a single edition – and seven conversions. Two of her tries came in New Zealand’s bronze final win over France, capping a campaign that showcased her as one of rugby’s brightest young talents. The award honours players who make an immediate impact in their first international season, with Sorensen-McGee the third Black Ferns’ back-three player to claim the award in the last four years.
World Rugby Coach of the Year: John Mitchell was named Coach of the Year after masterminding England to a dominant Women’s Rugby World Cup final victory over Canada, 33-13, before a record crowd of 81,885 at Allianz Stadium. Under his leadership, the Red Roses extended their perfect run to a record 33 straight matches and are yet to taste defeat since his appointment in 2023. England entered the tournament having won back-to-back Women’s Six Nations and WXV 1 titles.
World Rugby Referee Award in partnership with Emirates: Hollie Davidson was recognised for her trailblazing achievements across the men’s and women’s game with the Referee Award ahead of taking charge of her second Women’s Rugby World Cup final. The second Scottish official and third female recipient of the accolade, she was the first female assistant referee in the Men’s Six Nations and Rugby Championship and has refereed over a quarter of her 46 matches in the men’s test arena.
International Rugby Players Special Merit Award: All Blacks legend and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Dan Carter has received the International Rugby Players Association Special Merit Award. Widely recognised as the most complete fly-half in rugby history, Carter combined attacking creativity, tactical intelligence, and precise goal-kicking to dominate the game. The all-time leading test point scorer with 1,598 points, he earned 112 caps, three World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year titles, two Rugby World Cup victories, and nine Rugby Championship crowns, solidifying his status as a modern rugby icon.
Crossing Guard
Sport Trivia: Who was the first South African driver win the F1 Grand Prix championship? Answer: Jody Scheckter. Jody Scheckter\’s F1 debut was with McLaren in 1972. He then had his first full season in F1 with Tyrell in 1974. In 1977 & 1978 he drove for Wolf. In 1979 he drove for Ferrari, going on to win the F1 championship that year. He also won his tenth and last GP, the Italian that year. He was one of only two drivers to ever race with the number 0, the other being Damon Hill.
Parallax Sugar
The unique oval shape of rugby balls can be traced back to their original construction using leather casings and pig’s bladders. These early rugby balls retained the natural oval form of pig bladders, and despite modern manufacturing techniques, the traditional shape has been preserved.