Former King Edward VII School (KES) learner Malcolm Marx has climbed to the pinnacle of world rugby.

The Springbok hooker, who matriculated from KES in 2012, was recently crowned the 2025 World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year, an honour that celebrates his strength, skill and unwavering determination.

Early talent spotted at KES

Marx has become one of the most formidable hookers in modern rugby, but as Rosebank Killarney Gazette reports, his journey began on the historic KES fields where his talent first shone through. His former U14A coach, Tutty Faber, who retired from coaching at KES in 2021 after a distinguished career, still remembers the young Marx with clarity and pride.

“When you think back to coaching Malcolm in the unbeaten U14A side in 2008, the early qualities were already there. He was a very strong and talented player. I played him as a number eight forward,” Faber shared. “As a junior, he was considerably better than Bryan Habana, but Bryan was an U13 boy when I coached him. As a coach, you always hope your charges will attain the highest level they can reach.”

Foundations laid by school and coach

Although another KES coach would later move Marx into the hooker position, the foundation laid at school went far beyond his physical attributes. Faber believes the ethos of KES played a defining role in shaping the man behind the player. “I like to think that the school lends itself to developing boys into men of strong beliefs and actions,” he said.

Among the many memories he carries, one stands out as a glimpse of Marx’s early intensity. “A try he scored against Jeppe stays with me. Four opponents tried to stop him, and they couldn’t.”

Faber also recalls the remarkable discipline that set Marx apart even as a teenager. “When it was suggested that his future was as a hooker, I saw him standing on a try line, throwing countless rugby balls at an upright pole. He did this before and after practice. It has paid off.”

Coach’s pride as Marx reaches world-leading heights

Now watching from the sidelines after his 2021 retirement, Faber feels immense pride as Marx reaches new heights in his career. “I am honoured,” he said, reflecting on seeing a former player he once guided now recognised as the best men’s 15s player in the world.

To the boys who continue to run out on the KES fields, he offers simple but powerful advice inspired by Marx’s journey. “Follow your dreams and attempt to be the best that you can. See where that takes you.”

For Marx, that journey has taken him from the red and white of KES to the summit of world rugby.

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