The Rugby Association and the School Sports Association have agreed to integrate rugby into the education system, alongside soccer and basketball. This means that children will be introduced to this rapidly growing sport from a young age. The children will play the non-contact version, tag rugby. The Association’s CEO, Bonnie Manor-Gottfried, is preparing to build a foundation for rugby from the young ages up to the adult levels.
Within a year, the number of children playing rugby has tripled, all thanks to a new program in collaboration with the School Sports Association, through which dozens of schools are being introduced to this rapidly developing sport in Israel and around the world.
The popularity of a sport often depends on factors of time and place. A child growing up in the U.S. has a high chance of trying baseball; a child in India will quickly become familiar with cricket; and a child in New Zealand will aspire to play rugby.
In Israel, as we know, children are mainly exposed to soccer or basketball, missing out on a game that has a place for every child—whether they’re the strong child, the fast runner, or the one who analyzes plays.
As part of the new program, over two thousand children across the country are playing tag rugby, which, unlike classic rugby, is non-physical and mainly involves pulling flags from the opposing team.
The Association’s CEO, Bonnie Manor-Gottfried, explains: “There’s no other way to introduce rugby to children in Israel. It’s a sport that dominates in half the world and flies under the radar in the other half. The School Sports Association gives children the opportunity to be part of a youth league within the framework of schools and the Rugby Association. We’re at the beginning of an amazing era.”
The School Sports Association is the executive branch of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture and Sport, with a mission to develop the sports infrastructure within the school system through leagues, competitions, and championships. Currently, there are 12 sports under the association, with each school administration deciding which sport to adopt for the upcoming season.
Ultimately, you’re still reliant on school administrators to recognize the sport and want it in their schools.
Bonnie: “That’s right; there’s work to be done with school principals. Fortunately, we have advantages over other sports. For example, all schools and municipalities pay for participation in the leagues, and we subsidize a significant portion so that principals only need to arrange transportation. Secondly, rugby doesn’t require special facilities; it uses existing soccer fields. And finally—and I think this is very significant for schools and parents—in rugby, there’s room for everyone. There’s no ranking, no shaming, no starting team versus bench team. What’s beautiful in rugby is that every child, with their physical build and unique skill set, has a position that suits them. It fosters humility and modesty, and it’s amazing to see that at young ages.”
Do children and youth have continuity in the sport after they finish school?
Bonnie: “That’s our challenge, and it’s twofold. First, the rugby infrastructure in Israel is still not spread across the entire country. It’s developing rapidly; we’re working on it. We have significant activity in the Haifa area, Ashkelon, the Jezreel Valley, and a growing club in Jerusalem. We also have a few clubs in the central region.
The second challenge is transitioning from tag rugby to classic rugby or sevens. We’ll show them rugby games and have talks with national team players, but we’ll likely also establish a tag rugby division within the association to ease the transition. In any case, the role of the coaches is very significant in guiding the kids through this.”
What would you consider an achievement?
“I want to reach those who come with no background at all. It’s different from other sports—half the kids will quickly know soccer, wear Messi jerseys, and play soccer at recess. There are entire countries where this happens with rugby on a massive scale. I believe it can succeed; we’re not competing with soccer or basketball.
On a professional level, I want to develop women’s rugby; it’s very challenging. Today, we only have adult women in the association, but on the other hand, there are about 400 girls playing tag rugby. We need to bridge the gap and develop the infrastructure.
Entering schools through the School Association is the game-changer expected to significantly grow the sport in the coming years. Just like in rugby, there are many moves to anticipate, thinking about where to lead the whole squad. It’s no coincidence that many rugby players go on to hold senior positions; these are people who think a lot.”
Photographer – Roy Kfir
