'It makes you feel really grateful': Rassie Erasmus on winning Coach of the Year award

The Springboks' legendary coach Rassie Erasmus has won Coach of the Year at the SA Rugby Awards.

He also received the Springbok Legacy Award for his long-term impact on the team and the wider rugby landscape.

The national squad of course won Team of the Year.

Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx was crowned SA Rugby Men’s Player for 2025, an honour he also won in 2017.

The power player beat out strong competition from fellow Bok stalwarts and finalists Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ox Nche and Jasper Wiese.

Nadine Roos was named SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year for a second successive season.

The appropriately named rising Bok star Ethan Hooker walked away with the award for SA Rugby Men’s Young Player of the Year.

The Springboks posted a highlights video of the awards ceremony on social media, entitled "Oh, what a night we had in Cape Town!".

Interviewed after the high-profile ceremony, the characteristically humble Erasmus noted how some top players and coaches come to the end of their careers without getting recognition in the form of an award.

"They don't get a pat on the shoulder and I think we all love that pat on the shoulder... and so this (recognition) makes you a bit emotional and also really, really grateful."

"Sometimes when we're in front of 60,000 or 80,000 people on a rugby field we're not nervous, but in front of people like this you do get a bit nervous because you're out of your comfort zone!"

Hearing how the Springboks helped the country from dignitaries at the ceremony also makes the team really proud, Erasmus said.

The full list of SA Rugby Awards 2025 winners and finalists:

SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year: Malcolm Marx
Finalists: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ox Nche, Jasper Wiese

SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year: Nadine Roos
Finalists: Byrhandré Dolf, Aseza Hele, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Babalwa Latsha

SA Rugby Young Men’s Player of the Year: Ethan Hooker
Finalists: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Canan Moodie, Haashim Pead, Zachary Porthen

SA Rugby Young Women’s Player of the Year: Byrhandré Dolf
Finalists: Patience Mokone, Nombuyekezo Mdliki, Anushka Groenewald

Springbok Men’s Sevens Player of the Year: Shilton van Wyk
Finalists: Selvyn Davids, Impi Visser

Springbok Women’s Sevens Player of the Year: Nadine Roos

Junior Springbok Player of the Year: Haashim Pead
Finalists: Cheswill Jooste, Riley Norton

Team of the Year: Springboks
Finalists: Junior Springboks, Springbok Sevens

Coach of the Year: Rassie Erasmus (Springboks)
Finalists: Swys de Bruin (Springbok Women), Kevin Foote (Junior Springboks), Philip Snyman (Springbok Sevens)

FNB Fans’ Moment of the Year: The Springboks’ record victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand

Carling Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year: Donavan Don (Sanlam Boland Kavaliers)
Finalists: Gurshwin Wehr (Suzuki Griquas), George Whitehead (Suzuki Griquas)

Carling Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year: Andrew Kota (NovaVit Griffons)
Finalists: Keagan Fortune (Valke), Willem van den Hever (NovaVit Griffons)

Provincial Women’s Player of the Year: Patience Mokone (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)

SA Vodacom URC Player of the Season (announced last year): Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers)

OUTsurance Referee of the Year: Aimee Barrett-Theron

President’s Award: Gavin Varejes

Spirit of ’95 Award: Siya Kolisi

Springbok Legacy Award: Rassie Erasmus

SA Rugby Associate Member of the Year: SA Wheelchair Rugby