Springbok Stars Du Toit, Marx, Nche and Hooker Nominated for 2026 World Rugby Awards

Springbok Stars Du Toit, Marx, Nche and Hooker Nominated for 2026 World Rugby Awards

South Africa has once again stamped its authority on the global rugby stage, with Pieter-Steph du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche and Ethan Hooker all securing nominations for the 2026 World Rugby Awards.

The Springbok quartet were announced on Tuesday as finalists in two major categories: the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year and the World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year.

Winners will be revealed on Saturday, 22 November.

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Du Toit Chases Historic Third Title

Pieter-Steph du Toit, who made history last year by becoming the first South African to win the Men’s 15s Player of the Year Award twice, has been nominated once again for rugby’s most prestigious individual honour.

He is joined in the category by fellow Springboks Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche, along with France’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

For Marx, this marks his second career nomination, having previously been shortlisted in 2018.

Ethan Hooker Earns Breakthrough Recognition

Rising star Ethan Hooker has been named among the four contenders for the World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year Award.
He will compete against New Zealand’s Fabian Holland, England’s Henry Pollock and Australia’s Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

SA Rugby President Celebrates the Achievement

SA Rugby President Mark Alexander praised the players, calling their nominations a reflection of South Africa’s depth and excellence at international level.

“I’d like to congratulate Pieter-Steph, Malcolm, Ox and Ethan for being recognised among the best players in the world.
“To have three of the four nominees for Men’s 15s Player of the Year from South Africa, as well as Ethan in the Breakthrough category, is a testament to the quality of our players on the global stage.

“They have all performed exceptionally well this season and deserve this recognition. On behalf of SA Rugby and the entire country, I want to express how proud we are of them,” Alexander said. 

He added that regardless of the final results on Saturday, all four players had already achieved something remarkable by being nominated.

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