Du Toit on Springboks-dominated shortlist for best men's rugby player in 2025

DUBLIN (AP) — Springboks flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit could join All Blacks greats Dan Carter and Richie McCaw as a three-time winner of the world player of the year award in men's rugby after being included on the shortlist for the 2025 accolade.

Du Toit was on the shortlist with South Africa teammates Malcolm Marx and Ox Nché, and France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

The winner will be announced on Saturday.

Du Toit won the award in 2019 and 2024. They are the only years he has made the shortlist.

Carter and McCaw are the only players with three player-of-the-year awards in the 15-man category. Du Toit and New Zealand back Beauden Barrett have each won it twice.

The best women's player for 2025 was announced by World Rugby after the recent World Cup in England. It went to Canada goalkicking lock Sophie de Goede.

The four men's players up for the breakthrough player of the year are New Zealand lock Fabian Holland, South Africa center Ethan Hooker, England back-rower Henry Pollock and Australia center Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

FILE -South Africa's Ox Nche celebrates at the end of the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between France and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

FILE -France's Louis Bielle-Biarrey, center, is tackled by Scotland's Darcy Graham, right, during the Six Nations rugby union match between France and Scotland at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

FILE -South Africa's Malcolm Marx, center, scores a try during the Rugby Championship match between Argentina and South Africa at Twickenham stadium, in London, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

FILE - South Africa's Pieter-Steph du Toit, center, is challenged by Ireland's Bundee Aki, right, during a test match between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

France's Damian Penaud is tackled during the rugby union Nations Series match between France and South Africa in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 . (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday was presenting medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees during an event in the Oval Office.

This year's recipients are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford.

Trump ignored the Kennedy Center and its premier awards program during his first term as president. But the Republican instituted a series of changes since returning to office in January, most notably ousting its board of trustees and replacing them with GOP supporters who voted him in as chairman.

Trump also has criticized the center's programming and its physical appearance, and vowed to overhaul both.

The president will present a new medal that was designed, created and donated by jeweler Tiffany & Co., according to the Kennedy Center. It's a gold disc etched on one side with the Kennedy Center's image and rainbow colors. The honoree's name appears on the reverse side with the date of the ceremony. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon and replaces a large rainbow ribbon decorated with three gold plates that rested on the honoree's shoulders and chest.

The president said in August that he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the 2025 honorees when he personally announced them at the Kennedy Center, the first slate chosen under his leadership. The honorees traditionally had been announced by press release.

It was unclear how they were chosen. Before Trump, it fell to a bipartisan selection committee.

Later Saturday, after the Oval Office event, Trump was scheduled to attend an annual State Department dinner for the honorees. In years past, the honorees would receive their medallions at the dinner but Trump has moved the ceremony to the White House.

Meanwhile, the glitzy Kennedy Center Honors program and its series of tribute performances for each recipient is set to be taped on Sunday at the performing arts center for broadcast later in December on CBS and Paramount+. Trump is to attend the program for the first time as president, accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump.

The president said in August that he would host the show, but the White House has not characterized his level of participation. Presidents traditionally attend the program and sit with the honorees in the audience. None has ever served as host.

“I’ve been asked to host. I said, ‘I’m the president of the United States. Are you fools asking me to do that?'” Trump said back then. “And then Susie Wiles said to me, ‘Sir, I’d like you to host.' I said, OK, Susie, I’ll do it,” Trump said, referring to his White House chief of staff.

Trump spent several hours at the Kennedy Center on Friday. He participated in the FIFA World Cup draw for 2026 and accepted its inaugural peace prize. Trump also met in a group with the leaders of Canada and Mexico.

FILE - The Hall of Nations at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Nov. 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, file)

Kiss band member Gene Simmons speaks to members of the media at the White House, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

President Donald Trump speaks before a concert by Andrea Bocelli in the East Room of the White House walking towards the East Room, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)