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Blitzboks star crowned RugbyPass MVP after dramatic SVNS season finale


Shilton van Wyk of South Africa runs with the ball during the men's Cup Semi Finals match between New Zealand and South Africa during day three of the Hong Kong Sevens at Kai Tak Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
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Blitzboks flyer Shilton van Wyk has been crowned the inaugural RugbyPass SVNS Series MVP after finishing in top spot on the season-long leaderboard, receiving more votes than teammate Tristan Leyds and Fiji’s prolific try-scorer Vuiviwa Naduvalo.

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In a stunning twist to end the season, all five men’s players who polled votes after the HSBC SVNS World Championship finale in Bordeaux were first-time recipients this season. Van Wyk was able to hang onto his strong five-vote lead, taking out MVP honours after an incredible season.

Van Wyk was named the Player of the Final after South Africa won their home event at SVNS Cape Town last December, and the 26-year-old continued to stand out during a dominant HSBC SVNS Series for the Boks.

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Leyds was another driving force behind the Blitzboks’ charge towards the regular season title, as they claimed silverware at four of six events. The SVNS Series champions carried that form into the new-look HSBC SVNS World Championship.

South Africa won the fan favourite Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens for the first time and made the Cup Final at SVNS Valladolid as well. Yet they still ended up on the brink of SVNS World Championship elimination in Bordeaux before sneaking into the quarters.

The Blitzboks defeated Fiji to mathematically secure the circuit’s top prize, even though they lost to home side France in the semis. Les Blues Sevens went on to win the decider, defeating the All Blacks Sevens in front of a lively crowd.

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Rayan Rebbadj and Celian Pouzelgues were the big winners after the event at Stade Atlantique, having helped France make history at home. France hadn’t won a SVNS Series stop in two years, when Antoine Dupont starred in the team’s run to 2024 Grand Final victory in Madrid.

All Blacks Sevens ace Jayden Keelan enjoyed an impressive end to the World Championship after returning from injury at SVNS Valladolid. Keelan was among the standouts during the back-to-back tournaments in Europe, which included a try in the Bordeaux Cup Final.

Another top performer from the season finale was Lucas Lacamp, who gave his absolute all to help the USA secure qualification back to the SVNS Series. Lacamp crossed for a double in a pool stage thriller against Australia and delivered the season-defining score when it mattered most.

The USA needed to beat Fiji in the fifth-place playoff to secure qualification, otherwise Kenya would’ve earned a spot on the top flight for next season. Fiji raced out to a 14-0 lead before the USA fought back with 17 unanswered points in the final three minutes.

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Lacamp dived over for the match-winning score in the final play of the match, with USA players swarming the try-scorer afterwards. The USA are back on the SVNS Series, earning there spot in the most dramatic fashion possible during an entertaining end to the season.

Related

RugbyPass SVNS Series MVP 3-2-1 votes – Bordeaux

Finn Morton

Men: Rayan Rebbadj (France), Celian Pouzelgues (France, Lucas Lacamp (USA)

Women: Maddison Levi (Australia), Risi Pouri-Lane (New Zealand), Charity Williams (Canada)

Joe Harvey

Men: Rayan Rebbadj (France), Jayden Keelan (New Zealand), Juan Ramos (Spain)

Women: Maddison Levi (Australia), Risi Pouri-Lane (New Zealand), Charity Williams (Canada)

Nick Wasiliev

Men: Celian Pouzelgues (France), Jayden Keelan (New Zealand), Juan Ramos (Spain)

Women: Maddison Levi (Australia), Manaia Nuku (New Zealand), Kaylen Thomas (USA)

Ben Smith

Women: Maddison Levi (Australia), Heidi Dennis (Australia), Isabella Nasser (Australia)

RugbyPass Women’s SVNS Series MVP leaderboard

Jorja Miller (New Zealand) – 51 votes
Maddison Levi (Australia) – 37 votes
Kelsey Teneti (New Zealand) – 28 votes
Risi Pouri-Lane (New Zealand) – 20 votes
Isabella Nasser (Australia), Teagan Levi (Australia) – 14 votes
Heidi Dennis (Australia) – 12 votes
Tia Hinds (Australia) – 6 votes
Jazmin Felix-Hotham (New Zealand), Olivia Apps (Canada), Kaylen Thomas (USA) – 4 votes
Madison Ashby (Australia), Ariana Ramsey (USA) – 3 votes
Mahina Paul (New Zealand), Charity Williams (Canada), Manaia Nuku (New Zealand) – 2 votes
Hanako Utsumi (Japan), Reapi Ulunisau (Fiji), Maya Stewart (Australia), Jaymie Kolose (New Zealand), Su Adegoke (USA), Lili Dezou (France) – 1 vote

RugbyPass Men’s SVNS Series MVP leaderboard

Shilton van Wyk (South Africa) – 27 votes
Tristan Leyds (South Africa) – 22 votes
Viwa Naduvalo (Fiji) – 21 votes
Terio Veilawa (Fiji), Henry Hutchison (Australia) – 13 votes
Ryan Oosthuizen (South Africa) – 12 votes
Luciano Gonzalez (Argentina) – 9 votes
Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand), Selvyn Davids (South Africa) – 8 votes
Ricardo Duarttee (South Africa), Brady Rush (New Zealand), Rayan Rebbadj (France) – 6 votes
Celian Pouzelgues (France) – 5 votes
Dietrich Roache (Australia), Paulin Riva (France), Eduardo Lopez (Spain), Wallace Charlie (Australia), Marcos Moneta (Argentina), Jayden Keelan (New Zealand) – 4 votes
Donovan Don (South Africa) – 3 votes
Nacani Boginisoko (Fiji), Kele Lasaqa (New Zealand), Jeremy Trevithick (Spain), Sebastiaan Jobb (South Africa), Maurice Longbottom (Australia), James Turner (Australia), Juan Ramos (Spain) – 2 votes
Pilipo Bukayaro (Fiji), Andy Timo (France), Rob Rush (New Zealand), Ben Dowling (Australia), Santiago Vera Feld (Argentina), Tobias Sainz-Trapaga (Spain), Lucas Lacamp (USA) – 1 vote

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