Tristan Leyds has been named the 2026 HSBC SVNS Player of the Year, becoming only the fourth South African to claim the award after Cecil Afrika (2011), Werner Kok (2015) and Seabelo Senatla (2016). Leyds edged out Fiji's Vuiviwa Naduvalo and Australia's Henry Hutchison for the honour after scoring 124 points — 16 tries and 22 conversions — across nine events, the second-highest tally in the squad.
Shilton van Wyk led the Blitzboks' points and try-scoring charts with 160 points and 32 tries, and both players were named in the tournament's Dream Team of the Year.
The individual awards cap a historic Blitzboks season under head coach Philip Snyman and captain Impi Visser, in which South Africa successfully defended the HSBC SVNS World Championship — winning events in Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, New York and Hong Kong across the series.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander paid tribute to both players and the squad. "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 Alexander. "His ability to ignite the rest of the squad was something to behold."
Of Van Wyk, Alexander added: "His ability to score crucial tries in finals was so often the game breaker for the side."
Alexander also pointed to the broader significance of the back-to-back title, describing it as "not only a victory for rugby, but a celebration of South African determination and teamwork."