HSBC SVNS Player of the Year Tristan Leyds.
For Tristan Leyds, being named HSBC SVNS Men’s Player of the Year was already a career-defining moment. But standing in that stadium surrounded by the people who had been there long before the trophies, the headlines and the global recognition, it became something much bigger.
The Strand-born Blitzbok recently opened up about the emotional moment on the "Behind The Ruck" podcast with Juan de Jongh and Rudie Paige, sharing how receiving the award became a memory he will carry forever.
And if there is one thing about a proud family moment, it’s that sometimes the people who watched the journey from the beginning are the ones who struggle to hold back the tears.
Leyds explained that he knew exactly where his family was sitting in the stadium when the award was announced. His older brother Dillyn Leyds, a former Springbok and Stormers star, was among those watching as Tristan’s name was called.
