South African rugby has delivered yet another pride-filled moment for local fans as six Springboks earned places in the 2025 World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team. For a country that treats rugby as both a passion and a unifier, the announcement landed like a national victory lap.

The decorated group includes Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ox Nche, Thomas du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and crowd favourite Cheslin Kolbe. And in a season packed with silverware and record-breaking performances, their inclusion feels like the natural next chapter of a team that refuses to stop climbing.

A Season That Reminded The World Who The Boks Are

South Africa’s 2025 campaign has been nothing short of blistering. Eleven wins from thirteen Tests, titles successfully defended in the Rugby Championship, the Freedom Cup and the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate, plus a string of statement victories home and away.

The Boks didn’t just beat France and Ireland on their travels. They outplayed them in a way that felt symbolic. Disciplined, physical, clinical. It is exactly the kind of year that turns strong players into global headliners.

The Dream Team announcement now serves as confirmation of what South Africans have been feeling all year. This team is not only world number one. It is defining the era.

SA Rugby’s Praise And A Moment Of National Pride

SA Rugby President Mark Alexander said what many supporters echoed across social media: the players didn’t just make the cut, they deserved it in every sense.

He highlighted Marx’s crowning as the 2025 World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year, calling it another reminder of South Africa’s growing influence on the global stage. Marx is the second South African in a row to win the award, further cementing the Boks’ place in rugby’s modern peak.

Rising star Ethan Hooker’s nomination for Breakthrough Player of the Year added another spark, hinting that even more South Africans could be entering the world-class conversation soon.

The Brotherhood Behind The Success

Alexander credited the coaching unit led by Rassie Erasmus for fostering a system that keeps producing excellence. In his words, the Boks operate like a brotherhood, not just a squad, and that unity is what has carried them through another bruising year of international rugby.

In a season where rankings shifted wildly across the rugby world, the Springboks never budged from the number one spot. And with their November tour edging toward another unbeaten run, the momentum feels unstoppable.

Global Talent, South African Dominance

The 2025 Dream Team features some of rugby’s strongest performers from across the globe. New Zealand’s Will Jordan and Cam Roigard, England’s Tom Curry and Maro Itoje, Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne, Australia’s Harry Wilson and Len Ikitau, and France’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey all feature.

But no other nation appears more than twice.

South Africa appears six times.

That stat alone tells the story of 2025.

A Familiar Core Returns

Four of the six Boks included this year also made the 2024 Dream Team. Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe all return, showcasing consistency at world-class level.

And while Eben Etzebeth, Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel miss out this year, their presence in 2024 proves how deep the Springbok talent pool goes.

2025 World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team

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

{Source:SABC Sport}

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