Donning the green and gold of the Springboks remains one of the highest honours in world rugby – and it comes with significant rewards.
The Springboks ended the 2025 Test season exactly where they began: firmly on top of the global rugby rankings after another commanding year at international level.
Unsurprisingly, several of South Africa’s biggest names featured prominently throughout the campaign.
Wilco Louw, Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Ruan Nortje, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian de Allende all ranked among the most rewarded players in the national squad.
But which Springbok earned the most in 2025?
HIGHEST PAID SPRINGBOKS OF 2025
As previously reported on The South African, the PONI (Players of National Interest) figures have been disclosed by SA Rugby.
Each player is paid R118 197.93 per Springboks Test.
All players named in the match-day squad are paid the same amount – regardless of whether they start or come off the bench.
As a result, the Springboks who featured most frequently during the 2025 Test season emerged as the top earners in terms match appearance fees.
The figures exclude club contracts, bonuses and/or sponsorship earnings.
Prop Wilco Louw played 13 of the 14 official Tests that the Springboks played in 2025.
He thus banked a cool R1 536 573.09 for his four starts and nine substitute appearances in the front-row.
Marx, Nortje, Reinach and Feinberg-Mngomezulu all played 12 Tests this year. That saw the quartet earn a total of R1 418 375.16 each over the course of the season.
They were followed closely by captain Siya Kolisi, Damian de Allende and Canan Moodie, who each featured in 11 Tests during 2025 – and earned R1 300 177.23.
Interestingly, De Allende logged the most minutes in a Springbok jersey in 2025.
The powerful centre accumulated 824 minutes across his 11 appearances, underlining his importance in midfield.
Kolisi, meanwhile, missed the early part of the season through injury, but returned to feature in 11 of the Springboks’ final 12 Tests.
MAKING HIS ‘MARX’
Coach Rassie Erasmus’s reputation for rotation and tactical unpredictability remains well respected.
Yet a handful of players have clearly turned opportunity into ownership.
Chief among them is hooker Malcolm Marx.
The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year started 12 Tests in 2025, finally making the No 2 jersey his own after years of rotation with Bongi Mbonambi.
In eight of those appearances, Marx played beyond the hour mark. This is a clear sign of the Springbok selectors’ trust in Marx.
More importantly, he delivered consistently, stamping his authority on matches.
Marx reminded the rugby world why he remains one of the game’s elite performers.
If 2025 proved anything, it’s that Marx didn’t just feature for the Springboks – he defined their season.
