Malcolm Marx heads SA Rugby Awards shortlist as key omissions raise questions

Comment

SA Rugby’s annual award nominations once again shine a spotlight on excellence across the game, but they also raise a few uncomfortable questions that deserve to be asked.

At the top of the list, Malcolm Marx – World Rugby’s Men’s XVs Player of the Year in 2025 – headlines a strong shortlist for the 2025 SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year award. He is joined by Springbok teammates Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ox Nche and Jasper Wiese. It is a formidable list; there is no doubt about it. However, it feels incomplete.

Most glaringly is probably the absence of Ethan Hooker from the main awards category.

Hooker was influential at Test level, displayed remarkable consistency throughout the season for the Sharks in a losing cause and has been recognised in the Young Player of the Year category.

The question, then, is simple: what more does he need to do to be considered among the very best?

If impact at the highest level is the benchmark, Hooker’s omission from the top tier is difficult to reconcile.

Equally contentious is the inclusion of Jasper Wiese.

While Wiese undoubtedly had a strong season in the green and gold, his nomination comes despite a red card for a headbutt that ruled him out of crucial Rugby Championship Tests. In an era where player behaviour, discipline and availability are increasingly under scrutiny, it is fair to ask how such an incident weighs into the voting criteria – or whether it does at all.

The coaching nominations prompt similar debate.

Rassie Erasmus (Boks), Philip Snyman (Blitzboks), Kevin Foote (Junior Boks) and Swys de Bruin (Bok Women) have all been shortlisted, reflecting the success of South Africa’s national teams from the juniors, through the women and up to both formats for the men.

But the absence of Pieter Bergh from the Coach of the Year nominations is striking.

What Bergh achieved with Griquas in the Currie Cup, overcoming far more fancied United Rugby Championship franchises – many stacked with Springboks – was extraordinary and deserves all the credit. In South Africa’s oldest domestic competition, Bergh and his squad punched well above their weight, yet that achievement appears to have been overlooked on the Coach of the Year and Team of the Year categories.

The nominations lean heavily toward the national setup, which is understandable given recent success. Still, domestic excellence should not be an afterthought. Recognition matters, and so does consistency in how it is awarded.

SA Rugby’s list celebrates brilliance, but it also leaves room for debate – and perhaps a rethink of how achievements are truly measured.

The SA Rugby Award nominees

SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year

• Pieter-Steph du Toit
• Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
• Malcolm Marx
• Ox Nche
• Jasper Wiese

SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year

• Byrhandré Dolf
• Aseza Hele
• Libbie Janse van Rensburg
• Babalwa Latsha
• Nadine Roos

SA Rugby Young Player of the Year

• Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Springboks / Stormers)
• Ethan Hooker (Springboks / Sharks)
• Canan Moodie (Springboks / Bulls)
• Haashim Pead (Junior Springboks / Lions)
• Zachary Porthen (Springboks / Stormers)

Springbok Sevens Men’s Player of the Year

• Selvyn Davids
• Shilton van Wyk
• Impi Visser

Junior Springbok Player of the Year

• Cheswill Jooste
• Riley Norton
• Haashim Pead

Team of the Year

• Junior Springboks
• Springboks
• Springbok Sevens

Coach of the Year

• Swys de Bruin (Springbok Women)
• Rassie Erasmus (Springboks)
• Kevin Foote (Junior Springboks)
• Philip Snyman (Springbok Sevens)

Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year

• Donavan Don (Boland Kavaliers)
• Gurshwin Wehr (Griquas)
• George Whitehead (Griquas)

Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year

• Keagan Fortune (Valke)
• Andrew Kota (Griffons)
• Willem van den Hever (Griffons)