Haifa Wild Boars
Encyclopedia
Haifa Wild Boars is one of six clubs in Israel Rugby Union
. Based in Haifa
, in the northern part of Israel.
The team is majorly sponsored by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and most players have graduated or are students there. Students in the Technion get academic credit for playing in the team.
to Israel, when the Israeli union was formed in 1972.
Haifa women's team, also known as The Haifa Lady Boars, won the Yizrael 7's tournament in 2007 and came in first place in the rugby tournament of Eilat games 2009. The team is playing in the Israeli Rugby League and has been ranked second for the last four years.
Training takes place in Ort Bialik school grounds.
Israel Rugby Union
The Israel Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in Israel.The Israel Rugby Union was founded in 1971, and joined the IRB in 1988...
. Based in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, in the northern part of Israel.
The team is majorly sponsored by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and most players have graduated or are students there. Students in the Technion get academic credit for playing in the team.
Club history
The club was formed by Alan Brazg, a student in the Technion, in the year 1971 and consisted mostly of immigrants from South Africa. The club was one of the first to bring rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
to Israel, when the Israeli union was formed in 1972.
Lady Wild Boars
Erez Weiss, a Haifa men’s player, promoted the birth of a women's rugby union team. With his enthusiasm, a team was formed in 2005 which included 7 team members and was coached by Menachem Ben Menachem and Nir Bar Or (2005/2006). Then, Yael Kenan took over as coach (2006/2007) and is still the team coach today (2009/2010).Haifa women's team, also known as The Haifa Lady Boars, won the Yizrael 7's tournament in 2007 and came in first place in the rugby tournament of Eilat games 2009. The team is playing in the Israeli Rugby League and has been ranked second for the last four years.
Playing Grounds
The team is nowadays using an old Football pitch in Kfar Bialik (Usha) to host games, while looking for a permanent stadium.Training takes place in Ort Bialik school grounds.
Current squad
| Player | Position | Management Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ravid Ron | Prop / Hooker | Club Manager |
| Ofer Hamburger | Prop | Coach |
| Asaf Gayer | Flanker / Center | Captain |
| Menahem Ben Menahem | Number Eight | Israeli Rugby Union President |
| Eyal Koren | Prop | |
| Boaz Buchendler | Prop | |
| Ziv Melling | Hooker | |
| Ori Batchko | Hooker | |
| Yoni Shaki | Lock / Number Eight | |
| Yair Bar-Yochai | Lock | |
| Dima Bolotnikov | Lock | |
| Or Ishai | Lock | |
| Elli Bagelman | Lock | |
| Dwayne Milner | Lock | |
| Lasha Machavariani | Flanker / Number Eight | |
| Lior Lavi | Flanker / Wing | |
| Didi Shalit | Flanker | |
| Guy Nadler | Flanker | |
| Jochanan Reis | Scrum Half | |
| Nir Bar Or | Scrum Half / Fly Half | |
| Nestor Raisntein | Fly Half | |
| Shimry Haviv | Fly Half / Full Back | |
| Adrian Rainstein | Center | |
| Paul Colbourne | Center | |
| Dudi Muscles | Center | |
| Maxim Rozenberg | Center | |
| Gareth Stephens | Center / Wing | |
| Gilad Wilk | Wing | |
| Ido Bar Noam | Wing |