Planet Rugby Readers’ Team of the Year: Lions SNUBBED, Springboks dominate and one All Black features after 40,000 votes

Jared Wright 27 Dec 2025 1:05 PM

Louis Biellie-Biarrey, Malcolm Marx and Ardie Savea.

We asked, you answered, and the 2025 Planet Rugby Readers’ Team of the Year is here, with over 40,000 votes tallied up.

The Springboks were clearly a fan favourite this year, with one player taking 85% of the votes in his position.

Let’s not further delay it. Here is your team of the year as voted for by you.

15 Damian Willemse – 32%

We start with one of the most hotly contested positions, which was a three-horse race between Damian Willemse, Will Jordan and Thomas Ramos.

The Springboks ace clinched the jersey ahead of All Blacks star Jordan, who tallied up 30% of the votes for the number 15 jumper, with Frenchman Ramos just behind on 26%.

Santiago Carreras and Ange Capuozzo made up the difference, but ultimately it was the Bok who took the honours, which was a big theme of the votes.

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14 Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 59%

While Ramos narrowly missed out, Test teammate Louis Bielle-Biarrey did not after starring during the Six Nations this year and was sensational for Union Bordeaux Begles en route to winning the Investec Champions Cup.

The 22-year-old claimed 59% of the votes along with the other winger who made the team, as the pair were far and away the favourites among the readers.

Bielle-Biarrey’s club and international teammate Damian Penaud was the next most popular pick, collecting 22% but that was not nearly enough.

13 Jordie Barrett – 28%

Like with the wingers, we grouped all the nominees for the centres together, and Jordie Barrett was the second-most popular selection and shifts to the outside centre role to accommodate the victor, featuring in his preferred role.

Barrett enjoyed a sterling stint in Ireland with Leinster and won the United Rugby Championship, and was clearly one of the best All Blacks in 2025.

The most voted for out-and-out 13 was Springbok Jesse Kriel, who polled 24% with Joseph Suaalii earning 15%.

12 Damian de Allende – 48%

Barrett is joined by Damian de Allende in the centres with the Springboks veteran racking up 48% of the votes to beat Santiago Chocobares (23%), Len Ikitau (18%) and Sione Tuipulotu (9%).

Scotland and Lions star Huw Jones may have got the nod for the World Rugby Dream XV, but Planet Rugby readers weren’t overly convinced by his form this year, with the number 13 gaining just 13% of the votes.

The opposite is true for De Allende, whose performances often fly under the radar.

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11 Cheslin Kolbe – 59%

Like Bielle-Biarrey, Cheslin Kolbe also racked up 59% of the votes, with the Frenchman getting slightly more votes in total.

Kolbe scored just three tries in nine appearances for the Springboks this year, but the winger put in starring performances in crunch matches for South Africa and impressed with the removal of the escorts from the law.

World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year nominee Ethan Hooker gained 12% of the votes but also fell well short of cracking the XV.

Mateo Carreras (8%), Max Jorgensen (8%), Canan Moodie (7%), Tommy Freeman (5%), James Lowe (4%) and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (3%) all missed out.

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – 74%

While many of the positions were hotly contested, the fly-half jersey belonged to one player: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

The Springboks sensation crushed his competitors, gaining 74% of the votes, with Scotland and Lions playmaker Finn Russell attracting 12%.

George Ford (5%), Tomas Albornoz (5%), and Romain Ntamack (3%) made up the difference.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu started eight Test matches at fly-half for South Africa this year and won each of them, with his brilliant showing in Durban in the thrashing of Argentina being the standout, but it had stiff competition.

9 Cobus Reinach – 48%

The Springboks rising star is joined in our Readers’ team by halfback partner Cobus Reinach, who fell just short of earning half of the votes.

It was a two-horse race for the number nine jersey with All Black Cam Roigard racking up 33% of the votes.

8 Jasper Wiese – 41%

Like with the centres and wingers, we grouped the loose forwards together, and there were three clear winners from the longlist.

Jasper Wiese was one of them, albeit the least popular of the trio. The Springboks number eight earned 41% of the public votes with the closest competitors for a spot in the back-row being Pablo Matera (21%), Tadhg Beirne (17%), Ben Earl (11%), Tom Curry (10%), Harry Wilson (9%), and Fraser McReight (9%).

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit – 77%

Another position dominated by a Springbok, as Pieter-Steph du Toit racked up 77%. The all-action back-rower did not play a minute of club rugby before donning the Green and Gold this year, but was a standout performer yet again for Rassie Erasmus’ men.

He was comfortably the most popular selection among the back-rowers.

6 Ardie Savea – 52%

Du Toit’s closet competitor was All Blacks star man Ardie Savea, who garnered 52% of the Readers’ votes. Scott Robertson’s men produced mixed performances and results this year, but the world-class loose forward was consistently brilliant, and our Readers acknowledged that.

The likes of Wallace Sititi (7%), Juan Martín González (6%), Josh van der Flier (6%), Jac Morgan (5%), Francois Cros (4%) and Peter Lakai (2%) were the other loose forwards in the mix.

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5 Ruan Nortje – 40%

Generally the loose forwards are the most contested positions but this time around it was the locks with Ruan Nortje leading the pack with 40% of the votes.

The Bulls forward has become a key player in a hugely competitive position for South Africa due to his immense work rate and lineout excellence.

The fact that he has cracked the nod ahead of world-class second rowers like Maro Itoje (27%) and Eben Etzebeth (36%) is something in itself.

4 RG Snyman – 38%

Nortje slots into the second row alongside teammate and Leinster star RG Snyman, who earned the second-most votes among the locks.

World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Fabian Holland (19%) also missed out, as did Will Skelton (10%), Joe McCarthy (7%) and Thibaud Flament (7%).

Ollie Chessum, Nick Frost and Mickaël Guillard were the other nominees but got very little traction.

3 Thomas du Toit – 57%

Bath prop Thomas du Toit racked up 57% of the votes, and he was closely followed by Springboks teammate Wilco Louw, who claimed 29%.

Tadhg Furlong (6%) was the next-best tighthead according to those who cast their votes, with Fletcher Newell (4%) and Will Stuart (3%) claiming small percentages.

2 Malcolm Marx – 79%

World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx claimed the second-highest percentage of votes from our readers with an impressive 79%.

Dan Sheehan was way back in second place despite gaining 10% of the votes and he was followed by Julian Montoya (5%), Codie Taylor (3%) and Julien Marchand (2%).

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