Tel Aviv Heat

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Tel Aviv Heat
Founded2021; 3 years ago (2021)
LocationTel Aviv, Israel
Ground(s)HaMoshava Stadium (Capacity: 11,500)
ChairmanAdi Raz
Coach(es)Kevin Musikanth
Captain(s)Prince ǃGaoseb
Top scorerJordan Chait (172)
League(s)Rugby Europe Super Cup
20232nd
1st kit
2nd kit
First match
Black Lion 33–10 Tel Aviv Heat
(16 October 2021)
Largest win
Tel Aviv Heat 55-5 Romanian Wolves
(30 October 2022)
Largest defeat
Naka Bulls 47-10 Tel Aviv Heat
(24 March 2022)
Official website
www.telavivheat.com

The Tel Aviv Heat (Hebrew: תל אביב היט, romanized: Tel Aviv Hit) is the first professional Israeli rugby union team. Based in Tel Aviv, the team competes annually in the Rugby Europe Super Cup. The team is also called the Israeli Springboks, on account of the number of South Africans that are in the team, however have also been described as 'the world's most diverse rugby team'.[1]

History

Tel Aviv Heat were formed in 2021 to play in the 2021-22 Rugby Europe Super Cup. The Rugby Europe Super Cup was open initially for the seven highest-ranked countries below the Six Nations, other Unions were given the opportunity to bid for an eighth ‘wild card’ slot, which the Israel Rugby Union submitted a formal bid for in December 2020. Having won that slot in March 2021, a founding team was put together to build a professional franchise from scratch.[2] Kevin Musikanth was named as the team’s first Director of Rugby and Head Coach for the inaugural season of the Rugby Europe Super Cup.

In their first season Tel Aviv finished 3rd place in the Eastern Conference of the competition, however due to the disqualification on Yenisey-STM, Tel Aviv Heat advanced to the semi-finals., going on to lose against Western Conference winners Lusitanos XV, 42-26 in Lisbon.

In 2022 Tel Aviv began the season with a win over the Romanian Wolves in their ingural Super Cup season. Tel Aviv came 2nd in the Eastern Conference winning four, drawing one and losing one. They one again faced the Lusitanos XV in the semi-finals, this time he Israeli side coming on top with a 22-30 win in Lisbon. However they lost against Black Lion in the final.

In August 2022 Tel Aviv Heat were invited to join the South African Mzansi Challenge competition, however due to pressure from stakeholders SARU made the decision to withdraw their invitation in February 2023.[3][4]

In May 2023 the Israeli side announced a new partnership with the French Top 14 club Stade Français where both teams will exchange training methods and organize friendly matches.[5][6]

In the 2023 Rugby Europe Super Cup, Tel Aviv Heat came runners-up in Group A, ruffling to stop playing due to the Israel-Hamas war playing all their games away.[1] Going on the win the semi-final clash against the Romanian Wolves 31-6 in Bucharest, once again featuring against he Black Lion in the final. The Georgian franchise winning 27-17 in Tbilisi.

Wins against Tier 1 pro teams

After the pool stage of the 2022 Rugby Europe Super Cup, Tel Aviv Heat played a friendly against English Premiership side Saracens.[7][8][9]

27 November 2022
12:15 (UTC)
Saracens26-29Tel Aviv Heat
Try: Andy Christie 30' c, Kapeli Pifeleti 54' c, Sam Bryan 76' c, Declan Murphy 80' m
Con: Tobias Elliott 31', 55', 77' (3/4)		ReportTry: Sebastian Jobb 10' m 41' c, Niall Saunders 38' c, Sailasa Turaguluvu 63' c
Con: Jordan Chait 39', 41', 64' (3/4)
Pen: Jordan Chait 6' (1/1)
Cards: Semi Kunatani yellow card 72' to 82'
StoneX Stadum, London
FB 15 England Jenson McInulty
RW 14 England Charlie Reynolds-West
OC 13 England Francis Moore
IC 12 England Olly Hartley
LW 11 England Tom Howe
FH 10 England Tobias Elliott
SH 9 England Charlie Bracken
N8 8 England Jackson Wray (c)
OF 7 England Samson Adejimi
BF 6 Scotland Andy Christie
RL 5 England Alex Wardell
LL 4 Scotland Callum Hunter-Hill
TP 3 England Alec Clarey
HK 2 United States Kapeli Pifeleti
LP 1 England James Flynn
Replacements:
HK 16 England James Isaacs
LP 17 Scotland Robin Hislop
TP 18 England Harvey Beaton
LK 19 England Obinna Nkwocha
LK 20 England Max Eke
SH 21 England Sam Bryan
BR 22 England Nathan Michelow
SH 23 England Declan Murphy
PR 24 England Jevaughn Warren
LK 25 England Kaden Pearce-Paul
WG 26 England Will Sanders
Director of Rugby:
Ireland Mark McCall
FB 15 South Africa Sebastiaan Jobb
RW 14 South Africa Jamba Ulengo
OC 13 Fiji Jone Manu
IC 12 Israel Idan Eisenberg
LW 11 Fiji Peceli Nacebe
FH 10 South Africa Jordan Chait
SH 9 Ireland Niall Saunders
N8 8 Fiji Semi Kunatani
OF 7 South Africa Cal Smid
BF 6 Namibia Prince !Gaoseb (c)
RL 5 South Africa Jurie Van Vuuren
LL 4 Namibia Max Katjijeko
TP 3 South Africa Wiehahn Herbst
HK 2 South Africa Dameon Venter
LP 1 South Africa Caylib Oosthuizen
Replacements:
HK 16 South Africa McMillan Muller
PR 17 South Africa Thabiso Mdletshe
PR 18 South Africa Mhleli Dlimani
LK 19 Fiji Sailasa Turagaluvu
BR 20 Fiji Jasa Veremalua
SH 21 South Africa Bradley Thain
CE 22 Fiji Nemani Buliruarua
WG 23 Israel Ori Abutbul
BR 24 Israel Thomas Berman
PR 25 South Africa Justin Theys
PR 26 Israel Nitsan Reizel
SH 27 Israel Omer Levinson
WG 28 South Africa Matt More
Coach:
South Africa Kevin Musikanth

Players

Current Squad

Tel Aviv Heat for 2023 Rugby Europe Super Cup squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

  • South Africa Richard Bryant
  • Fiji Nemani Buliruarua
  • Israel Idan Eisenberg
  • Fiji Jone Manu
  • South Africa Matt More

Wings

Fullbacks

  • South Africa Sebastiaan Jobb
(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Israel on residency or dual nationality.

Notable Players

Internationals

Honours

Major Honours

Friendly and Sevens

  • Rugby Town Sevens Plate
    • Runners-up: 2023[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Newboult, Colin (2023-11-10). "The rugby team ploughing on in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war". PlanetRugby. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  2. ^ Reporter, J. C. "Israel's only professional rugby team beat Saracens in Hendon". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  3. ^ "Tel Aviv Heat withdrawn from Mzansi Challenge". SA Rugby. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  4. ^ Algemeiner, The (2023-02-20). "Israeli Rugby Team Launches Program to Promote 'Respect and Inclusion' After South African BDS Campaign - Algemeiner.com". www.algemeiner.com. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  5. ^ Algemeiner, The (2023-05-24). "Israel's National Rugby Team Partners With French Club - Algemeiner.com Israel's National Rugby Team Partners With French Team to Arrange Friendly Matches, Share Tactics". www.algemeiner.com. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  6. ^ "HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN STADE FRANÇAIS PARIS & TEL AVIV HEAT". www.telavivheat.com. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  7. ^ HEAT, TEL AVIV (2022-11-26). "Tel Aviv Heat vs Saracens - GAME DAY INFORMATION". TelAvivHeat.com. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  8. ^ "TEAM NEWS | Saracens Men v Tel Aviv Heat - Saracens". Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  9. ^ "MATCH REPORT | Saracens Men 26-29 Tel Aviv Heat - Saracens". Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  10. ^ Strickler, Colton (2023-08-28). "USA U-23s Secure First RugbyTown 7s Title Since 2014". RugbyTown USA. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
Stub icon

This rugby union team article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tel_Aviv_Heat&oldid=1218964091"