A Middle East round of ‘carnage’ was happening not on a battlefield but a rugby field.

By David E. Kaplan

One would think from the daily platter of international news that the only interaction the Jewish state has in a dominantly Muslim neighborhood is one of military hostility. Not true.

Unsurprisingly, with daily reportage of incoming missiles and responding air attacks, Israel playing rugby in the Gulf would unlikely make front page news or any news anywhere. But that is what happened over a 3-day rugby 7s tournament in Dubai, and Israel’s top and only professional rugby team, the Tel Aviv Heat was there competing. For Israeli rugby fans “The Heat” as they are known, was hot news – but it more ways than only rugby.

For those unfamiliar with the Dubai rugby 7s – or more colloquially known as “The Dubai Sevens” – it is one of the biggest events in the expat sporting and social calendar with the rugby community turning out in their thousands from all corners of the globe for a three-day festival of rugby. The 2024 tournament took place from the  November 30 to December 1 and Tel Aviv Heat was there flying proudly the Israeli colours.

Formed in 2021 to play in the 2021–22 Rugby Europe Super Cup, Tel Aviv Heat has also been called the “Israeli Springboks” on account of the number of South Africans in the team. It has also been described as “the world’s most diverse rugby team”.

The Israeli team’s participation in Dubai amidst of a long ongoing war  was viewed by the  Israel Rugby Union as both a significant achievement and a powerful response to the anti-Israel global movement seeking to promote boycotts, sanctions and divestment against the beleaguered Jewish state. Just last year, the team’s invitation to a South African tournament was revoked due to BDS pressures. “For us, stepping onto the field and playing was a victory,” said Rugby Union CEO Bonnie Manor-Gottfried.

In February 2023, South Africa Rugby withdrew an invitation to the Israeli club Tel Aviv Heat to compete in a second-tier competition from March 24. Resorting to verbal jujitsu as an ‘explanation’, SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said at the time:

“We have taken this decision to avoid the likelihood of the competition becoming a source of division, notwithstanding the fact that Israel is a full member of World Rugby and the IOC.”

This was in keeping with South Africa’s policy that had downgraded its embassy in Tel Aviv in 2019, pulled out its ambassador and has long adopted a very hostile stance toward Israel, endorsing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. So yes, Israel’s Rugby Union CEO is correct when he says  just:

“…stepping onto the field and playing was a victory.”

Tel Aviv Heat’s participation in the Gulf tournament marked the first time an Israeli rugby team has competed in a competitive tournament in Dubai, further warming relations  and hopefully fostering future sporting collaborations. It was a “victory” also because “the mere participation of an Israeli team, just a week after the tragic murder of Chabad emissary Tzvi Kogan in Dubai, was far from guaranteed,” explained  Bonnie Manor-Gottfried. The abduction and murder of 28-year-old Rabbi Kogan’s who devoted himself to Jewish life in the Gulf state, shook the Jewish communities of the UAE and around the world. During an atmosphere of Jews feeling naturally targeted, the  Jewish state’s team “… stepped onto the field with Israel emblazoned on their uniforms, carrying a strong sense of national representation during such a challenging time.”

While there were initial concerns, everything changed once the team arrived in Dubai. “They were incredibly organized, accompanied us throughout, strengthened security, and made us feel safe and protected,” said Manor-Gottfried. “Communication during the event with all security entities was excellent. We also bolstered security with private measures, and everything went smoothly.”

THE ‘HEAT’ IS ON

Despite Tel Aviv Heat’s young age, the team has achieved significant success in the European league and the invitation to the Dubai tournament has cemented the team’s standing on the international rugby stage. “Participating in the tournament, gaining experience, and competing at that level is exactly what the Israeli national team needs as part of our ambitious project to climb the global rankings,” explained head coach Kevin Musikanth. “It was an incredible experience.” Also “incredible” is despite South Africa’s obsessive high-profile antagonism to Israel, it is a former South African that is taking the Israeli team to new heights. Head Coach Musikanth started playing rugby at the age of five when his father passed him a ball on Muizenberg Beach in his hometown of Cape Town. Since that day, he has never put the ball down.

Says Musikanth:

“I fell in love with the game from a very young age. I dreamed of becoming a Springbok and my father was my rugby coach for most of my school career. He nurtured the love I have for the game. I remember watching rugby with him and knowing every player in every team in the Currie Cup. These were my favorite memories, being with my dad and watching rugby on TV or live at Newlands stadium…”

Kevin played rugby until the age of 24 when shoulder injuries cut his career short. During that time, he still managed to play for the SA Maccabi team that won a gold medal in the 2001 Maccabi Games.

“It was on the back of the Maccabi games in 2017 when I was the coach of the South African Maccabi Team,” that he was approached to come to Israel and be the coach of the national team. Although initially it seemed a tough call to make leaving SA professional rugby, “on reflection and the fact that they were very persistent, I felt I could make a difference and I imagined how proud my Russian and Lithuanian grandparents would be should I take it on, and I decided to pack my bags make Aliyah and go for it… 5 years later I am very happy I made that decision…”

So is Israel rugby.

Now Musikanth’s dream is to help Israel “get to the World Cup and I’m positive that with  Tel Aviv Heat as a catalyst, we have a great chance to do so…”

In the meantime, he was proudly “going for it” with his Israeli team in Dubai.

Captaining the sevens squad at the Dubai tournament, Gal Aviram, adds that “…the atmosphere was electrifying. There was a massive crowd, world-class rugby, and top-tier players. This is one of the biggest rugby events in the world. Being an active participant there is an incredible honor.”

Continues Aviram:

“Today, Heat is essentially the extended arm of the Israeli national team. It integrates national team players and international reinforcements, enabling us to compete in high-level tournaments. It also sets a high standard for experienced players while giving younger players a benchmark to aspire to.

Every tournament is an opportunity to play at these levels, pushing us one step closer to our collective dream of reaching the World Cup and the Olympic Games.”

Materialization of these dreams will be a question, not of ‘if’, but of ‘when’ because in the words of Herzl, “If You will it, it is no Dream” and there is no shortage of “WILL” in Israel in whatever “field” of endeavour.

While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).