We asked, you answered, and the 2025 Planet Rugby Readers\u2019 Team of the Year is here, with over 40,000 votes tallied up.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Springboks<\/a> were clearly a fan favourite this year, with one player taking 85% of the votes in his position.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s not further delay it. Here is your team of the year as voted for by you.<\/p>\n 15 Damian Willemse \u2013 32%<\/p>\n We start with one of the most hotly contested positions, which was a three-horse race between Damian Willemse, Will Jordan and Thomas Ramos.<\/p>\n The Springboks ace clinched the jersey ahead of All Blacks<\/a> star Jordan, who tallied up 30% of the votes for the number 15 jumper, with Frenchman Ramos just behind on 26%.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Ex-Springboks star reveals which position is best for \u2018ball player\u2019 Damian Willemse<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 14 Louis Bielle-Biarrey \u2013 59%<\/p>\n While Ramos narrowly missed out, Test<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Bielle-Biarrey\u2019s club and international teammate Damian Penaud was the next most popular pick, collecting 22% but that was not nearly enough.<\/p>\n 13 Jordie Barrett \u2013 28%<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The most voted for out-and-out 13 was Springbok Jesse Kriel, who polled 24% with Joseph Suaalii earning 15%.<\/p>\n 12 Damian de Allende \u2013 48%<\/p>\n 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%).<\/p>\n Scotland and Lions star Huw Jones may have got the nod for the World Rugby Dream XV<\/a>, but Planet Rugby readers weren\u2019t overly convinced by his form this year, with the number 13 gaining just 13% of the votes.<\/p>\n The opposite is true for De Allende, whose performances often fly under the radar.<\/p>\n Nine moments that took our breath away in 2025 as Springboks make \u2018huge statement\u2019 and \u2018last-gasp Lions\u2019 rescue subpar tour<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 11 Cheslin Kolbe \u2013 59%<\/p>\n Like Bielle-Biarrey, Cheslin Kolbe also racked up 59% of the votes, with the Frenchman getting slightly more votes in total.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year nominee Ethan Hooker gained 12% of the votes but also fell well short of cracking the XV.<\/p>\n Mateo Carreras (8%), Max Jorgensen (8%), Canan Moodie (7%), Tommy Freeman (5%), James Lowe (4%) and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (3%) all missed out.<\/p>\n 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu \u2013 74%<\/p>\n While many of the positions were hotly contested, the fly-half jersey belonged to one player: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.<\/p>\n The Springboks sensation crushed his competitors, gaining 74% of the votes, with Scotland and Lions playmaker Finn Russell attracting 12%.<\/p>\n George Ford (5%), Tomas Albornoz (5%), and Romain Ntamack (3%) made up the difference.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 9 Cobus Reinach \u2013 48%<\/p>\n The Springboks rising star is joined in our Readers\u2019 team by halfback partner Cobus Reinach, who fell just short of earning half of the votes.<\/p>\n It was a two-horse race for the number nine jersey with All Black Cam Roigard racking up 33% of the votes.<\/p>\n 8 Jasper Wiese \u2013 41%<\/p>\n Like with the centres and wingers, we grouped the loose forwards together, and there were three clear winners from the longlist.<\/p>\n 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%).<\/p>\n 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit \u2013 77%<\/p>\n 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\u2019 men.<\/p>\n He was comfortably the most popular selection among the back-rowers.<\/p>\n 6 Ardie Savea \u2013 52%<\/p>\n Du Toit\u2019s closet competitor was All Blacks star man Ardie Savea, who garnered 52% of the Readers\u2019 votes. Scott Robertson\u2019s men produced mixed performances and results this year, but the world-class loose forward was consistently brilliant, and our Readers acknowledged that.<\/p>\n The likes of Wallace Sititi (7%), Juan Mart\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez (6%), Josh van der Flier (6%), Jac Morgan (5%), Francois Cros (4%) and Peter Lakai (2%) were the other loose forwards in the mix.<\/p>\n