Leyds named SVNS Player of the Year as Blitzboks seal back-to-back World Championship titles

Tristan Leyds has been named the 2026 Men’s SVNS Player of the Year at the HSBC SVNS Awards in Bordeaux, becoming the first South African to win the accolade since Seabelo Senatla claimed it in 2016. The honour caps a remarkable individual season for the 29-year-old, who played a central role as the Blitzboks won four of the six HSBC SVNS Series events and retained the SVNS World Championship.

South Africa’s dominance across the season was emphatic. Their victories included a home triumph at SVNS Cape Town in December, where they edged Argentina by two points in the final. Leyds was also recognised as Player of the Final at SVNS Vancouver, with his creative play — particularly his assist numbers — cited as a defining contribution to the team’s success.

“The other nominees are phenomenal players,” Leyds said in his acceptance speech. “Henry Hutchison, great forward throughout the season. Naduvalo, I think he missed out on the top try-scorer by three tries. For me, the thing that got me this award was probably the assists over the season.”

Reflecting on the moment the winner was announced, Leyds added: “Time was standing still. I actually saved my tears because I don’t want to look soft in front of the boys. So I just kept a smile and it was really, really awesome with the boys surrounding me and having this moment to share the award with me.”

Leyds was shortlisted alongside Australia’s Henry Hutchison and Fiji’s Vuiviwa Naduvalo, both of whom also earned places in the Men’s SVNS Dream Team of the Year. Blitzboks teammate Shilton van Wyk, Fiji playmaker Terio Veilawa, Argentina’s Luciano Gonzalez — the 2025 Player of the Year — and Spain’s Jeremy Trevvithick completed the side.

The Blitzboks’ resurgence is notable given they finished seventh in the 2023/24 regular season standings. Back-to-back world titles represent a significant turnaround, and Leyds’ individual award underlines how central he has been to that revival. Cecile Afrika was the first Blitzboks player to win the honour in 2011, with Werner Kok following in 2015 and Senatla in 2016 before the decade-long wait for another South African recipient ended on Friday.

New Zealand’s Kele Lasaqa was presented with the Men’s Rookie of the Year award by World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson, becoming only the second All Blacks Sevens representative to receive the honour after Ambrose Curtis in 2014.