Blitzboks star Tristan Leyds has been nominated for the Men’s Sevens Player of the Year Award.
In a year that saw the Blitzboks win the World Series after four out of six title triumphs, and then secure their first trophy in Hong Kong in the first leg of the World Championship, Leyds is the only South African nominated for a major award.
He’s up against Henry Hutchison of Australia and Vuiviwa Naduvalo of Fiji.
In the Men’s Sevens Rookie of the Year category, Kele Lasaqa (New Zealand), Harry Wilson (Australia) and Finley Lloyd-Gilmour (Great Britain) contend.
‘Another outstanding year’
The winners will be crowned after the World Championship final in Bordeaux on Sunday, where a number of special honours will also be presented, including the Men’s Top Try Scorer award and the winners of the women’s categories.
The Men’s and Women’s dream teams of the year will also be unveiled, recognising players who have consistently delivered world-class performances throughout the season.
“The Sevens Awards recognise the exceptional talent, commitment and performances that have defined another outstanding year of rugby sevens around the world,” said World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin.
“From season-long standout performers to exciting new players making their mark on the international stage, these nominees represent the very best of our sport.”
Blitzboks need to bounce back in France
The Blitzboks fell short in the World Championship’s second leg in Spain on the weekend, losing 26-19 to Australia in the final.
It was a poor performance by the South Africans, who also needed a score from Leyds in extra time to beat Great Britain 17-12 in the group stage.
“You are supposed to set the standard on day one and pick up the momentum from there, but we did not quite do that and in fact struggled on the first two days,” Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman said.
“Playing in six consecutive finals is great, but this one was not our best, so we need to come back stronger.”
South Africa will face Great Britain again in the pool stage, as well as the formidable Fiji and Kenya sides in France.