Malcolm Marx

Malcolm Justin Marx (born 13 July 1994) is a South African professional rugby union player. He currently plays hooker for the South Africa national team and the Kubota Spears in Japan Rugby League One, though he played flanker at youth level. Considered among the world's best hookers, he won the 2025 World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award.

Marx played for his province at the 2007 Under-13 Craven Week and the 2010 Under-16 Grant Khomo Week. He attended King Edward VII School in Johannesburg, was selected for a South Africa Academy side in 2011, and after the 2012 Under-18 Craven Week made the South Africa Schools team, facing France and England in August 2012. In 2013, he played eight Varsity Cup matches for his university side, scoring four tries. That same year, he appeared thirteen times in the Under-19 Provincial Championship, scoring four tries including one in the final, and was named Golden Lions U19 Forward of the Year. He was included in the South Africa Under-20 squad for the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship.

Marx made his senior debut for the Lions in the 2014 Vodacom Cup, starting their 18–16 opening win over the Leopards in Potchefstroom. He was also named in the Lions' Super Rugby squad for the 2014 season. Following a strong 2017, he won Lions awards for Super Rugby Player of the Year, Supporters Player of the Year, Players Player of the Year, and Most Valued Player of the Year. In 2018, he finished as the Lions' top try-scorer and is now joint top try-scorer in Lions history (27 tries), a record shared with Courtnall Skosan and Lionel Mapoe.

Marx joined the Kubota Spears in August 2020 and has been a regular starter, though a knee injury kept him out of the 2023 club season and the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

In 2016, he was named to a South Africa 'A' squad for a two-match series against the England Saxons. He came off the bench in a 32–24 loss in Bloemfontein and started the 26–29 defeat in George.

Marx was first selected for the Springboks for the 2016 Rugby Championship, making three appearances. He debuted on 17 September 2016, replacing captain Adriaan Strauss in the 43rd minute of a 13–41 loss to New Zealand. His first start came on 5 November 2016 in a 31–31 draw against the Barbarians (an uncapped match), where he played 51 minutes before being replaced by Bongi Mbonambi.

After strong Lions performances, Marx became a regular Springbok starter in 2017. On 10 June 2017, he was man of the match in the first test against France. Though criticised for his performance against New Zealand in the third round of the 2017 Rugby Championship, he played every test in the competition as South Africa finished third. He played the full 80 minutes in both tests against Australia (23–23 and 27–27 draws), losing out on man of the match to Kurtley Beale both times.

On 7 October 2017, he produced arguably his best individual performance against New Zealand, making four turnovers, many tackles, setting up a try for Jean-Luc du Preez, and scoring the final try himself (converted by Elton Jantjies) in a 24–25 loss. He appeared in three of four tests during the 2017 end-of-year tour. That year, he was voted SA Rugby Player of the Year, SA Rugby Young Player of the Year, and South African Super Rugby Player of the Tournament.

Marx was named in South Africa's 2019 Rugby World Cup squad, which won the tournament by defeating England in the final. He was also part of the 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning squad but missed most of the tournament due to a knee injury suffered in training.

Marx is married to Kirsten, and they have a son and a daughter. He was raised with his sister Carina and brother Jean Pierre.

His test match record includes games played, wins, draws, losses, tries, and points. His international tries are listed separately. His honours include Rugby World Cup winner (2019, 2023), The Rugby Championship winner (2019, 2024, 2025), winner of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour, and the World Rugby Player of the Year award.