South African rugby claimed multiple honours at the 2025 SA Sports Awards gala held at the Sun City Superbowl on Sunday night.
The Junior Springboks were crowned Youth/Junior Sport Team of the Year, recognition for their Junior World Championship triumph in Rovigo last season — South Africa's first junior world title since 2012. Kevin Foote's side, captained by Riley Norton, beat New Zealand in the final to end a 13-year drought.
Test referee Aimee Barrett-Theron took the Technical Official of the Year award. She officiated at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup in England, including the semi-final between Canada and New Zealand, and has now refereed 52 Tests — making her the most capped female referee in the game and one of only four South African officials to reach the 50-Test milestone. A Springbok in both fifteens and sevens, she was also the first woman to referee a men's match in South Africa.
Mzwandile Stick was among five recipients of the Minister's Excellence Recognition Award. The former Springbok Sevens captain has been part of the Springbok coaching setup for both Rugby World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023.
SA Rugby President Mark Alexander said the accolades were richly deserved, noting Barrett-Theron's pioneering refereeing career and Stick's invaluable contribution to the Springboks' success.
Elsewhere on the night, the Proteas Men's Test side — ICC World Test Championship winners — were named Team of the Year, while Akani Simbine claimed Sports Star of the Year ahead of Malcolm Marx and Temba Bavuma.