The bold challenge that led Tristan Leyds to become world’s best in SVNS

Tristan Leyds waited in silence, flanked by some HSBC SVNS Series icons as time stood still at Bordeaux’s Stade Atlantique. Leyds helped the Blitzboks reach remarkable heights during the 2026 season and was about to receive the ultimate individual reward. 

Vuiviawa Naduvalo and Henry Hutchison were also nominated for World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year after standout campaigns. Leyds stood between those two modern-day SVNS greats as commentator Rikki Swannell announced the winner to the world. 

Swannell revealed Leyds to be the winner. Leyds dropped his head to face the turf in a moment of disbelief, while playmaker Ricardo Duarttee led the group of Blitzboks teammates who ran over to swarm the 29-year-old, who became first South African to win the award in a decade. 

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Cecile Afrika was the first Blitzboks player to win the World Rugby honour in 2011, followed by Werner Kok in 2015 and Seabelo Senatla a year later. The Blitzboks have endured some tough seasons since, but Leyds’ achievement in itself shows just how far they have come. 

South Africa finished the 2023/24 season in seventh but were last weekend crowned back-to-back SVNS World Championship winners. Leyds broke away from the Blitzboks celebratations to reflect on the moment, immediately giving credit to the others wearing green and gold. 

“Credit to my squad for pushing me week in, week out in camps, even in the off-season and pre-season,” Leyds told RugbyPass in Bordeaux. 

“When I first started out at the sevens, set a goal out for me to be the best 10 in our system. It was quite tough to chase with the guys that had started before me nand I managed to do that or reach some height there. 

“The next season, coach Philip [Snyman] came to me and he said, just before the season started, I hope that your goal for this season isn’t to be the best 10 in the system but to be the best 10 in the world. 

“In that moment when he was talking to me I was like, ‘coach, this is my second year. I don’t know if I can reach those heights.’ Obviously [my] second year didn’t go the best and I’min my third year receiving the Men’s Player of the Year award. 

“It’s just oncoming from then, the effort the team has put into me and the management.” 

There were nine minutes between commentator Swannell announcing the award winner and Leyds breaking from the Blitzboks celebrations for this interview. Leyds had the SVNS World Championship medal around his neck and was holding two other trophies. 

The playmaker was named in the Men’s SVNS Dream Team of the Year in partnership with HSBC, with teammate Shilton van Wyk named as well. Hutchison, Naduvalo, Terio Veilawa, Jeremy Trevithick and Lucanio Gonzalez were also recognised for their efforts this season. 

Leyds was named the Player of the Final at SVNS Vancouver during the regular season, with the Blitzboks winning three SVNS 1 titles in a row. South Africa carried that form into the new-look World Championship, taking out the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens for the first time. 

“The other nominees are phenomenal players. Henry Hutchison, great forward throughout the season. Naduvalo, I think he missed out on top try-scorer by three tries,” Leyds reflected. 

“The thing that got me this award is probably the assists over the season and like I said, credit to the team. 

“It was really wholesome with the boys surrounding me and having this moment to share the award with me.” 

South Africa lost the Cup Final at SVNS Valladolid to Australia the week before Bordeaux, but they still held a strong lead at the top of the overall standings. But their dreams of taking out the top prize on the circuit were almost dashed on day two in France. 

The Blitzboks suffered a shock defeat to Great Britain first up, and another loss to Fiji had them on the brink of elimination. But with the All Blacks Sevens getting the better of Los Pumas Sevens in a thriller, the Boks received a World Championship lifeline. 

All the Blitzboks had to do to secure the World Championship was win their quarter-final, and as fate would have it, they would play Fiji. It was by far South Africa’s best performance of the event, prevailing 14-12. 

David Brits was in tears as players disappeared from the view of fans post-game, walking down the tunnel and grouping into a huddle. The Blitzboks had gone back-to-back, taking out the 2026 SVNS World Championship during a dramatic weekend. 

“It’s crazy the game of sevens. We lost to Fiji in the pool game and the boys were sulking really hard. It was one of those, this is not how we wanted to end [the season],” he said. 

“Luckily one of the teams did us a favour and we’re back in the quarter-finals so there was hope up again. 

“We managed to pull ourselves back in the quarter-final and it’s the game of sevens, the bounce of hte ball in rugby can go either way and luckily it came our way. 

“We couldn’t get through to the end to get another title btu still very, very grateful and happy to be standing here with this special group. Five titles in a season, now we get the back-to-back championship.”