Leyds was educated at Western Province Preparatory School and went on to Bishops College in Cape Town, where he played for their First XV rugby side in 2009 and 2010, alongside players such as Nizaam Carr, Oli Kebble, Johnny Kôtze, Sam Lane and Tim Swiel. He represented Western Province at various age-group levels. In 2010, he was included in both their Under-18 Academy Week and Craven Week sides. The following year, the played for the side in the 2011 Under-19 Provincial Championship, where he scored 133 points in 13 starts to finish second in the points-scoring charts and help his side reach the quarter-finals of the competition. He was a regular in the squad during the 2012 and 2013 Provincial Championships, helping them reach a final in the former and winning the competition in 2013. In 2012 and 2013, he also played Varsity Cup rugby for the. He was jointly the third-highest try scorer in 2012, averaging one try per match in his seven appearances.
Leyds was included in the squad for the 2013 Vodacom Cup competition. His first class debut came against the Argentinean invitational side the in Cape Town. He came on as a second-half substitute and scored a conversion with his first touch of the ball, plus added a penalty later to help Western Province to a 28–17 victory. He also appeared in their semi-final match against the, but couldn't prevent them being knocked out of the competition following a 44–25 loss.
Leyds moved to Australia to join Perth-based Super Rugby franchise the for the 2014 Super Rugby season, where he was named in their Wider Training Group. He was included in a matchday squad for the first time for their Round 16 match against the in Christchurch. He made three substitute appearances for the Force during the season, appearing in their matches against the Crusaders, and. He was also named in the side that played in the 2014 National Rugby Championship. He made five appearances in the competition and scored a try in their match against the.
Return to Western Province
In March 2014, announced that Leyds would return to the Cape Town-based side for the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division season. Due to ongoing commitments with the and, he only started training with Western Province towards the end of September 2014.
