The final category of the World Rugby Awards 2025 has been revealed today, celebrating the Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year. This announcement caps off an extraordinary season of international rugby and sets the stage for a new era beginning in 2026, with the launch of the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup and Nations Championship.

Men’s 15s Player of the Year Malcolm Marx is one of six South Africans in the World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team at the end of another successful year for Rassie Erasmus’ world champions, who claimed back-to-back Rugby Championship titles for the first time this year, and stand tall at the top of the World Rugby Men’s Rankings after winning all their November internationals to date.

Marx makes up one-third of an all-Springbok front-row, alongside Ox Nché and Thomas du Toit, while two-time Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit is named in the back-row.

Fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and winger Cheslin Kolbe complete the South African contingent in the 2025 dream team, a year after seven were named in the 2024 list. Marx, Nché, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kolbe were also in the 2024 team.

Full-back Will Jordan, another who was named in last year’s XV, and scrum-half Cam Roigard are the All Blacks in this year’s dream team. New Zealand are one of three nations to supply two players, along with Australia, who have centre Len Ikitau and number eight Harry Wilson lining up; and England, who are represented by second-row Maro Itoje and flanker Tom Curry. 

Scotland’s outside centre Huw Jones, France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and Ireland second-row Tadhg Beirne, the sixth player named two years in a row, complete this year’s dream team.

World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year 2025: 

  1. Ox Nché (South Africa)
  2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
  3. Thomas du Toit (South Africa)
  4. Maro Itoje (England)
  5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
  6. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
  7. Tom Curry (England)
  8. Harry Wilson (Australia)
  9. Cam Roigard (New Zealand)
  10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (South Africa)
  11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France)
  12. Len Ikitau (Australia)
  13. Huw Jones (Scotland)
  14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
  15. Will Jordan (New Zealand)

 

World Rugby Awards 2025 recipients

  • World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year: Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
  • World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year in partnership with HSBC: Sophie de Goede (Canada)
  • World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year: Fabian Holland (New Zealand)
  • World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year: Braxton Sorensen-McGee (New Zealand)
  • World Rugby Coach of the Year: John Mitchell (England)
  • World Rugby Referee Award in partnership with Emirates: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
  • International Rugby Players Association Special Merit Award: Dan Carter (New Zealand)
  • International Rugby Players Association Men’s 15s Try of the Year: Santiago Pedrero
  • International Rugby Players Association Women’s 15s Try of the Year: Maia Joseph (New Zealand)
  • World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year: 1 Ox Nché (South Africa), 2 Malcolm Marx (South Africa), 3 Thomas du Toit (South Africa) 4 Maro Itoje (England), 5 Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 6 Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), 7 Tom Curry (England), 8 Harry Wilson (Australia), 9 Cam Roigard (New Zealand), 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (South Africa), 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France), 12 Len Ikitau (Australia), 13 Huw Jones (Scotland), 14 Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), 15 Will Jordan (New Zealand).
  • World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year in partnership with Asahi: 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)