To mark International Women’s Month, we set out to interview several exceptional players and hear from them about their careers, achievements, and the significance of women’s integration into the sport. This time, we speak with Farah Itiel, who plays for Upper Galilee and the Israel national rugby team.

Perach, you balance military service, social work, and representing Israel on the national rugby team. What values from this sense of mission do you bring onto the field, and how have they shaped you as a player?

What ties everything I do together is the need to work as part of a team and to maintain clear and effective communication with those around me. The experiences I encounter in my work and during reserve duty constantly remind me that resilience is not only an individual quality. It is something that is built collectively within a group.

You face a complex reality both in your work and during reserve duty. How does rugby help you maintain balance?

When I am on reserve duty, rugby serves as a way for me to release stress and connect with the people around me. It is a sport that many are unfamiliar with, and the soldiers actually enjoyed the opportunity to try something new. I also work with at risk girls and I bring rugby into that space as well. I try, as much as possible, to bring all parts of who I am into every environment I am part of.

Has rugby changed the way you perceive female strength?

Rugby has shown me how women can be strong, powerful, and aggressive, while at the same time remaining sensitive, vulnerable, and open. To me, female strength lies in the ability to hold both of these aspects together, without one coming at the expense of the other.

Is there a moment on the field that symbolizes the period you have experienced since October 7?

During the last European Championship, we wore yellow ribbons in our hair and wrote the date 7.10 along with the names of those we lost on our legs. I wrote the name of my late cousin, Tzur Saeidi.

Standing there on the field, facing a Norwegian team whose players wore hair ties featuring watermelon symbols in solidarity with the colors of the Palestinian flag and who refused to shake our hands after the match, I felt just how important our presence there was.

What needs to happen for more girls to join the sport?

There are two key factors that could help. First, establishing teams in more locations across the country, even small ones, so that rugby becomes more accessible and closer to home.

Second, increasing exposure and promotion of rugby as a powerful, team oriented, and social sport, one that can appeal to many girls who are looking for a way to express themselves and feel a sense of belonging.

What message would you like to convey to the next generation of rugby players in Israel, and where do you see the sport in the coming years?

I would tell young players not to be afraid to fully commit to this sport. Allowing something like rugby to take you to new places within yourself that you may not have discovered otherwise is a truly life changing experience.

What is the most meaningful thing rugby has taught you about yourself? And what values has it instilled in you that you pass on to other players?

Rugby has taught me how important a supportive female community and environment are to me. It is a sport built on mutual responsibility. I fight for the person next to me and she fights for me. The values I take from it are commitment, the courage to go all the way, the ability to trust the team, and perseverance. I hope I succeed in living by these values and passing them on to younger players.