Tristan Leyds has become the fourth South African to win the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award.
The Blitzboks star edged out Fiji’s Vuiviwa Naduvalo and Australia’s Henry Hutchison for the award. He scored 124 points (16 tries and 22 conversions) in nine events this season, which was the second highest in the squad.
The other South Africans to win the prestigious award are Cecil Afrika (2011), Werner Kok (2015) and Seabelo Senatla (2016).
Leyds and teammate Shilton van Wyk, who topped the points and try-scoring stakes with 160 points and 32 tries, were both named in the Dream Team of the Year.
“Tristan gave us many reasons to smile during the 2026 season and all of us involved in South African rugby are very proud of this humble and hard-working young man,” said SA Rugby president Mark Alexander.
“His ability to ignite the rest of the squad was something to behold, but rugby is a team sport and I’m sure Tristan will be the first to give credit to his teammates – the Blitzboks had a great season and we can’t wait for the next series to start, with our SVNS Cape Town one of the first stops in the new season.
“Equally so for Shilton, who was deservedly included in the SVNS Dream Team. He has been so instrumental for the Blitzboks on attack and defence, but his ability to score crucial tries in finals was so often the game breaker for the side. He was the leading try scorer for the team this season and being included in the Dream Team is just reward.”
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“The Blitzboks have once again lifted the spirit of our nation,” said Alexander.
“Their back‑to‑back triumph is not only a victory for rugby, but a celebration of South African determination and teamwork. We salute the players, coaches and management for their extraordinary effort and we thank our commercial partners and supporters for standing alongside us in this journey.
“To Philip Snyman as head coach, Impi Visser as captain and the rest of the squad and management, well done. To win tournaments in Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, New York and then the ever elusive one in Hong Kong was a manifestation of your talent, grit and that you are indeed powered by unity.”
The post Leyds crowned world’s best sevens player appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Tristan Leyds has become the fourth South African to win the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award.
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