As we wind down to the end of 2025, we open up the polls to let you vote for your Team of the Year.<\/b><\/p>\n
We\u2019ve whittled down the options to five players per position, and because this is your Team of the Year, you can decide whether to select purely on international form like the World Rugby Dream XV or reward club excellence too.<\/p>\n
The Planet Rugby writers have leaned more on the performances at Test<\/a> level to draw up the shortlist, so without further ado, cast your votes for the forwards.<\/p>\n Loosehead prop<\/p>\n Finally, a prop was nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year Award! Ox Nche broke new ground doing just that, but the Springbok was beaten to the top gong by one of his teammates.<\/p>\n He is our first nominee for the loosehead prop role, with the cake-loving prop enjoying a sterling run of form, steamrolling opposition tightheads before injury struck against Japan.<\/p>\n Joining him on the five-man shortlist is a pair of British and Irish Lions in Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter \u2013 two pivotal members of the touring squad and their international teams.<\/p>\n Italian Danilo Fischetti was one of the very few looseheads this year who did not get decimated by a Bok tighthead, and he played the South Africans thrice!<\/p>\n World Rugby Awards: Ox Nche makes history, Springboks dominate, Henry Pollock in line for gong, Lions snubbed<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Azzurri was also a real force over the ball and one of the most criminally underrated props in the game, but you could prove us wrong with your vote.<\/p>\n Finally, Gerhard Steenekamp missed most of the Boks\u2019 season through injury, but his impact during the November internationals was so immense we thought it would be remiss of us not to shortlist him \u2013 even though Boan Venter impressed.<\/p>\n So, who gets your vote?<\/p>\n Hooker<\/p>\n For the first time since 2001, a hooker was crowned the World Rugby Player of the Year as Malcolm Marx became just the second front-rower to ever win the award after the inaugural winner, Keith Wood.<\/p>\n It was a memorable year for the Springboks star, who moved up to seventh on South Africa\u2019s all-time try-scorer list while also winning the Rugby Championship.<\/p>\n If not Marx, we\u2019ve also opened the vote to British and Irish Lion Dan Sheehan, France\u2019s Julien Marchand, Argentina\u2019s Julian Montoya and All Blacks veteran Codie Taylor.<\/p>\n Tighthead prop<\/p>\n Springboks star Thomas du Toit won the treble with Bath this year before shining for South Africa in the absence of Frans Malherbe.<\/p>\n The 30-year-old was named in the World Rugby Dream XV, but if you don\u2019t agree with the panel of legends who selected Du Toit, we have included his Test teammate Wilco Louw as an option.<\/p>\n Crusaders tighthead Fletcher Newell replicated his Super Rugby form in the black jersey, particularly in the absence of Tyrel Lomax, while the final option is Lions and Ireland veteran Tadhg Furlong.<\/p>\n So, who gets your vote at tighthead prop?<\/p>\n Locks<\/p>\n This year, we have not limited you to picking number four and five locks, but instead, we are giving you the chance to simply pick two second-rowers.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve drawn up a longlist of 11 players, and frankly, that was a challenge considering the number of world-class talents in the lock position.<\/p>\n Ruan Nortje and RG Snyman impressed for their clubs, helping them reach the United Rugby Championship final, and were equally excellent for the Springboks \u2013 never mind the fact that they both didn\u2019t fall to the November red card curse.<\/p>\n Ollie Chessum, Maro Itoje, and Joe McCarthy were excellent for the British and Irish Lions, earning their call-ups following standout Six Nations campaigns.<\/p>\n France\u2019s Micka\u00ebl Guillard shifted to the back-row later in the year but starred in the second-row during the Six Nations and for Lyon. He is in the running along with Toulouse and Les Bleus star Thibaud Flament.<\/p>\n Rating every All Blacks forward in 2025: Rookie the \u2018big positive\u2019 for Scott Robertson while Ardie Savea not quite as \u2018dominant\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Nick Frost was a standout for an inconsistent Wallabies team, with the same true for Will Skelton.<\/p>\n Eben Etzebeth was superb for the Boks before his brain explosion, and the final nominee is the All Blacks\u2019 breakthrough star Fabian Holland.<\/p>\n Pick your two locks.<\/p>\n Loose forwards<\/p>\n Again, we\u2019ve given you the luxury of simply picking the three loose forwards you think had the best year.<\/p>\n Our longlist includes number eights Harry Wilson, Jasper Wiese, Pablo Matera, Ben Earl and Peter Lakai.<\/p>\n On one side of the scrum we have the likes of Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marcos Kremer, Tadhg Beirne, Wallace Sititi and Francois Cros.<\/p>\n And on the other, Tom Curry, Ardie Savea, Fraser McReight, Josh van der Flier, Jac Morgan, and Juan Mart\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n Good luck in narrowing down your selections to just three.<\/p>\n We will be releasing the polls for the backs in due course, so keep your eyes peeled.<\/p>\n Eddie Jones: Why seedings won\u2019t work for Rugby World Cup draws<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n