Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Embarks on a New Era with a Leading Coaching Team

Later this month, Tel Aviv will step onto the field for their first league match wearing the iconic Maccabi emblem. Veteran coach Michal Weitzman has been asked to bolster the youth programme, while the senior men will be led by coach Nimrod Kaplan, long linked with the club’s fiercest northern rivals. “Tel Aviv has reached finals before. I expect us to reach the final and win,” Kaplan said with determination.

“Maccabi Tel Aviv is beginning a new season with a new professional staff. These appointments reflect our belief that success comes through first-class professionals,” concludes Maccabi Tel Aviv Club Chairman, Doron Shittruk.

Later this month, the Tel Aviv rugby team will play its first league match wearing the yellow-and-blue kit with the “Maccabi” badge on the chest. This is no small milestone for a club that for 50 years was known as ASA Tel Aviv. If that wasn’t dramatic enough, the men’s head coach is none other than Nimrod Kaplan, born in Kibbutz Yizreel, a former Yizreel coach, and a member of a family deeply tied to Tel Aviv’s greatest rival.

“This rivalry goes back at least 20 years – I’m sure a few people will frown at this,” Kaplan admits, before quickly adding: “But I don’t rule anything out. For me, rugby comes first. Personally, I want rugby in Israel to get better.”

Kaplan on moving from Yizreel to Tel Aviv: “This rivalry goes back at least 20 years – I’m sure a few people will frown at this.”

Tel Aviv is regarded as one of the strongest clubs in the league – the women won the championship last season and the men finished as runners-up. But their Achilles’ heel is a thin youth section. To fix that, the club turned to one of its most prominent figures of the past 25 years, Michal Weitzman, who previously built a thriving youth program of 50 players during her tenure.

At this long-standing club, expectations for the upcoming season are clear – especially under the prestigious and demanding Maccabi banner – but there is also recognition that building real depth will require patience and hard work.

Nimrod Kaplan (40) is the son of Milton Kaplan, one of the founders of rugby in Israel and the first captain of the national team, and the brother of Yehonathan Kaplan, also a former Israel captain and one of the country’s top players. Nimrod himself captained Israel and played both domestically and abroad. “Rugby was in my home every single day – we ate, watched, and lived rugby.” Kaplan later turned to coaching, guiding Yizreel’s senior men to four championships in four years – three of them league-and-cup doubles.

In other words, Nimrod – known to some as “Nimi” (though he prefers “Nimrod”) – is synonymous with Yizreel. Which is why his move to Tel Aviv, their fiercest rival, is not easy for everyone in the kibbutz to accept. “You grow up into a very intense rivalry – it’s like moving from Hapoel to Maccabi. That’s always been the conflict for me if I were ever to make this move,” he explains. “It’s funny and sad at the same time. After all, it’s not life and death. My father and brother gave me their blessing and are happy for me.”

Last season, Tel Aviv lost to Yizreel in the championship final. In fact, Yizreel has dominated the rivalry in recent years: in six seasons of head-to-head matches, Tel Aviv has only won twice. “We’re going to beat Yizreel,” Kaplan says firmly. “It’s not a question of if, but when – and everyone knows it. That week will be tough for many, but that’s what happens when a rivalry is this strong.”

Kaplan is convinced that with the Maccabi brand on their shirts, the picture will look very different: “Maccabi is a brand that changes everything. The moment you put on those colors and that emblem, you immediately become better. It has tremendous power. In every respect, Maccabi will be stronger, and we’ll feel it right from the start. For me, it’s a huge honor. The club is undergoing a transformation, and we need to implement it wisely. We’re a team of coaches with the ability to influence – from leading players to the energy and mindset we bring to achieve our goals.”

What are your short- and long-term goals?

“Team culture is more important to me than wins – how we treat each other on and off the pitch, how we train, how we show up for games. I always strive to bring my teams to a professional level. As for results, I believe we must always aim for the championship. Tel Aviv has reached finals, I expect us to reach the final and win.

Ultimately, I want every team I coach to play the most attractive rugby possible, to win every title available, and to have as many of our players as possible represent Israel. That’s always in my sights – that’s how our stock will rise.”

How are you preparing in terms of fans, marketing, and match-day experience – to grow exposure and attract new supporters to rugby?

“Up to now, Tel Aviv has played at Sportek, where there was exposure to passersby. Now, with the Maccabi transition, we’ll be playing at Hadar Yosef (after renovations). That will be our home ground, with proper facilities, locker rooms, and stands. It’s the start of an exciting new era. We’ll need to strengthen our presence on social media. Within a month, people will feel the difference on our channels. And I’m pleased the Rugby Union now also has marketing and media tools to support us – that helps a lot. We also have a few more ideas in the pipeline, though it’s too early to reveal them.”

This year the Regional League and the Maccabiah Games bring more matches and more exposure – how are you planning to use this platform to strengthen the club and rugby culture in the city?

“We’ll need to plan carefully how to use this as a springboard. The Maccabiah certainly has an impact on Israeli rugby, but in my view, it’s still not enough. The Regional League does a good job of exposing Israeli players to a higher level of competition – more rugby powerhouses, more challenges. It also brings cultural exposure to a different standard, which is great. Plus, there’s inter-club cooperation: if you don’t like another club, you still play alongside them. That’s very important and a grounding experience.”

Rugby in Tel Aviv is growing. You’ve got Maccabi, the Tel Aviv Ibex gaining momentum, and the professional Tel Aviv Heat branding the city internationally. How do you see this landscape?

“There’s rugby in Tel Aviv, but without youth it’s incomplete. You must have youth teams across age groups to ensure continuity. When the senior team remembers championships – and you also have U16 or U18 teams – then you can call it a rich club. At the end of the day, every sport competes for kids, and breaking through football and basketball is very tough.

The first exposure is at schools – for example, through tag rugby. I’m in favor of everything, as long as it’s done well. When a child runs and manages to evade his defender, he’s euphoric – that’s the bug. That’s the essence of the game. If the kid feels that and gets hooked, you can bring him to the club.

You start with tag rugby and then try to pull them into the club. It’s very hard, but sometimes it only takes one – a sibling or a neighbor – to draw others in.”

The one entrusted with rebuilding the youth department is Michal Weitzman (45), now also appointed as the club’s Technical Director. Weitzman began with the club in the early 2000s, played for Tel Aviv, captained Israel Women, then went on to coach the national women’s team, ASA Tel Aviv women, and youth teams – winning two consecutive youth championships. She also co-founded the Tel Aviv Ibex, is a graduate of the Olympic Committee’s “Podium” program, and heads the Rugby Union’s coaching courses and accreditations. After taking a two-year break from rugby, she has been called back to do what she and her team did successfully in 2021 – revitalize Tel Aviv’s youth program. “This year the goal, beyond forming a boys’ team, is also to establish a girls’ team,” she explains. “The ultimate aim is to create a boys’ and girls’ rugby academy, with a clear professional pathway and long-term development in rugby.”

Like Kaplan, Weitzman sees the Maccabi move as a unique opportunity for change: “That’s what brought me back. There’s no doubt about Maccabi’s professionalism, sporting values, and above all – ambition and achievement. To take things forward and grow the game. I believe in real, ground-up development aligned with our culture and reality on the ground. Sport must start at a young age. With a clear work plan, values, and the many people who want this to succeed – we’ll work hard, and it will happen.”

Weitzman discovered rugby at 21 – relatively late compared to traditional rugby nations – but she remembers what drew her in and believes that’s the key to attracting youth today: “Rugby is not just about aggression. It’s teamwork, cooperation, respect for opponents – that’s the beauty. You tackle a player, then immediately offer her a hand to get up, and at the end of the match you sit together for a beer. I’d never seen that anywhere else. Look at the world stage: in rugby you don’t have a separate stand for England fans and another for New Zealand fans. They sit together, drink beer together, and celebrate every try – regardless of who scored. It’s incredible. At the Olympics, you cheer for every try, no matter the team.”

Her role will be to rebuild youth ranks, starting with schools: “We come in, show kids the positive side of rugby – camaraderie, sportsmanship, the fact that rugby has a place for everyone. Every child can find their role, express themselves, and feel empowered.”

Weitzman is convinced that within a few years, youth numbers will grow, giving Tel Aviv a bright future: “I want us to have teams at every age group. I believe even in the first year we’ll see a positive change – perhaps even a renaissance for the club,” she smiles.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Club Chairman Doron Shittruk: “In modern sport, achievements are the result of hard work and careful planning. Human capital is a key resource in our club. Our decision to appoint Israel national team coaches to lead our sides is no coincidence. It reflects our belief that success comes through first-class professionals. Nimrod Kaplan and Michal Weitzman bring experience, knowledge, commitment, and an uncompromising drive for success. I believe they will lead the club to great achievements.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Chairman Yaron Yarchi: “After years of decline due to COVID and war, with reduced commitment from players, we decided to raise both coaching and management standards within the department. That’s why we brought in top-level professionals. We all understand the importance of investing in the younger generation of players who will ultimately form the backbone of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s senior teams. This change will create full integration across all age groups in the club. Building from the bottom up will grow the number of players – boys and girls – on which our senior teams will rely in the years to come.”