{"id":10739,"date":"2025-09-21T02:15:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T23:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/"},"modified":"2025-09-22T11:08:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T08:08:56","slug":"maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Embarks on a New Era with a Leading Coaching Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Later this month, Tel Aviv will step onto the field for their first league match wearing the iconic Maccabi emblem.<\/strong>
\nVeteran 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\u2019s fiercest northern rivals. \u201cTel Aviv has reached finals before. I expect us to reach the final and win,\u201d Kaplan said with determination.<\/strong><\/p>
\n
\u201cMaccabi Tel Aviv is beginning a new season with a new professional staff. These appointments reflect our belief that success comes through first-class professionals,\u201d concludes Maccabi Tel Aviv Club Chairman, Doron Shittruk.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\nFrom right to left: Nimrod Kaplan, Jeremy Schauder, Michal Weitzman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
Later this month, the Tel Aviv rugby team will play its first league match wearing the yellow-and-blue kit with the \u201cMaccabi\u201d 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\u2019t dramatic enough, the men\u2019s 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\u2019s greatest rival.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThis rivalry goes back at least 20 years – I\u2019m sure a few people will frown at this,\u201d Kaplan admits, before quickly adding: \u201cBut I don\u2019t rule anything out. For me, rugby comes first. Personally, I want rugby in Israel to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n\nFrom ASA to Maccabi Tel Aviv – with Jeremy Schauder at the helm, the women\u2019s side lifts the 2024\/25 Championship Shield<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
\n
Kaplan on moving from Yizreel to Tel Aviv: \u201cThis rivalry goes back at least 20 years – I\u2019m sure a few people will frown at this.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\nThe 2024\/25 Final<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
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\u2019s top players. Nimrod himself captained Israel and played both domestically and abroad. \u201cRugby was in my home every single day – we ate, watched, and lived rugby.\u201d
\nKaplan later turned to coaching, guiding Yizreel\u2019s senior men to four championships in four years – three of them league-and-cup doubles.<\/p>\n\n
In other words, Nimrod – known to some as \u201cNimi\u201d (though he prefers \u201cNimrod\u201d) – 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.
\n\u201cYou grow up into a very intense rivalry – it\u2019s like moving from Hapoel to Maccabi. That\u2019s always been the conflict for me if I were ever to make this move,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s funny and sad at the same time. After all, it\u2019s not life and death. My father and brother gave me their blessing and are happy for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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. \u201cWe\u2019re going to beat Yizreel,\u201d Kaplan says firmly. \u201cIt\u2019s not a question of if, but when – and everyone knows it. That week will be tough for many, but that\u2019s what happens when a rivalry is this strong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Kaplan is convinced that with the Maccabi brand on their shirts, the picture will look very different:
\n\u201cMaccabi 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\u2019ll feel it right from the start. For me, it\u2019s a huge honor. The club is undergoing a transformation, and we need to implement it wisely. We\u2019re a team of coaches with the ability to influence – from leading players to the energy and mindset we bring to achieve our goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
What are your short- and long-term goals?<\/p>\n\n
\u201cTeam 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.
\nAs 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.<\/p>\n\n
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\u2019s always in my sights – that\u2019s how our stock will rise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
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\u2019s always in my sights – that\u2019s how our stock will rise.\u201d Nimrod Kaplan<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n
How are you preparing in terms of fans, marketing, and match-day experience – to grow exposure and attract new supporters to rugby?<\/h3><\/p>\n\n
\u201cUp to now, Tel Aviv has played at Sportek, where there was exposure to passersby. Now, with the Maccabi transition, we\u2019ll be playing at Hadar Yosef (after renovations). That will be our home ground, with proper facilities, locker rooms, and stands. It\u2019s the start of an exciting new era.
\nWe\u2019ll need to strengthen our presence on social media. Within a month, people will feel the difference on our channels. And I\u2019m 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\u2019s too early to reveal them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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?<\/h3><\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll 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\u2019s 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\u2019s inter-club cooperation: if you don\u2019t like another club, you still play alongside them. That\u2019s very important and a grounding experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Rugby in Tel Aviv is growing. You\u2019ve got Maccabi, the Tel Aviv Ibex gaining momentum, and the professional Tel Aviv Heat branding the city internationally. How do you see this landscape?<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s rugby in Tel Aviv, but without youth it\u2019s incomplete. You must have youth teams across age groups to ensure continuity.
\nWhen 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.<\/p>\n\n
The first exposure is at schools – for example, through tag rugby. I\u2019m in favor of everything, as long as it\u2019s done well. When a child runs and manages to evade his defender, he\u2019s euphoric – that\u2019s the bug. That\u2019s the essence of the game. If the kid feels that and gets hooked, you can bring him to the club.
\n
\n<\/p>\n\n
You start with tag rugby and then try to pull them into the club. It\u2019s very hard, but sometimes it only takes one – a sibling or a neighbor – to draw others in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
Kaplan on tag rugby: \u201cI\u2019m in favor of everything, as long as it\u2019s done well. When a child runs and manages to evade his defender, he\u2019s euphoric – that\u2019s the bug. That\u2019s the essence of the game. If the kid feels that and gets hooked, you can bring him.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n
The one entrusted with rebuilding the youth department is Michal Weitzman (45), now also appointed as the club\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s \u201cPodium\u201d program, and heads the Rugby Union\u2019s coaching courses and accreditations.
\nAfter 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\u2019s youth program. \u201cThis year the goal, beyond forming a boys\u2019 team, is also to establish a girls\u2019 team,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe ultimate aim is to create a boys\u2019 and girls\u2019 rugby academy, with a clear professional pathway and long-term development in rugby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Like Kaplan, Weitzman sees the Maccabi move as a unique opportunity for change:
\n\u201cThat\u2019s what brought me back. There\u2019s no doubt about Maccabi\u2019s 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\u2019ll work hard, and it will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Weitzman discovered rugby at 21 – relatively late compared to traditional rugby nations – but she remembers what drew her in and believes that\u2019s the key to attracting youth today:
\n\u201cRugby is not just about aggression. It\u2019s teamwork, cooperation, respect for opponents – that\u2019s 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\u2019d never seen that anywhere else.
\nLook at the world stage: in rugby you don\u2019t 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\u2019s incredible. At the Olympics, you cheer for every try, no matter the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/figure>\n\n
Weitzman on her role:
\n\u201cRugby is not just about aggression. It\u2019s teamwork, cooperation, respect for opponents – that\u2019s the beauty.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n
Her role will be to rebuild youth ranks, starting with schools: \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Weitzman is convinced that within a few years, youth numbers will grow, giving Tel Aviv a bright future:
\n\u201cI want us to have teams at every age group. I believe even in the first year we\u2019ll see a positive change – perhaps even a renaissance for the club,\u201d she smiles.<\/p>\n\n
Maccabi Tel Aviv Club Chairman Doron Shittruk:
\n\u201cIn 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.
\nNimrod Kaplan and Michal Weitzman bring experience, knowledge, commitment, and an uncompromising drive for success. I believe they will lead the club to great achievements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Chairman Yaron Yarchi:
\n\u201cWe all understand the importance of investing in the younger generation of players, both girls and boys, who will ultimately form the professional backbone of Maccabi Tel Aviv\u2019s senior teams.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n
Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Chairman Yaron Yarchi:
\n\u201cAfter 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\u2019s why we brought in top-level professionals.
\nWe all understand the importance of investing in the younger generation of players who will ultimately form the backbone of Maccabi Tel Aviv\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Later this month, Tel Aviv will step onto the field for their first league match wearing the iconic Maccabi emblem. \nVeteran 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\u2019s fiercest northern rivals. \u201cTel Aviv has reached finals before. I expect us to reach the final and win,\u201d Kaplan said with determination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":10612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,27],"tags":[158],"class_list":["post-10739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gallery","category----en","tag-tel-aviv"],"yoast_head":"\n
Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Embarks on a New Era with a Leading Coaching Team - Israel Rugby Union<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Embarks on a New Era with a Leading Coaching Team - Israel Rugby Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Later this month, Tel Aviv will step onto the field for their first league match wearing the iconic Maccabi emblem. 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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\u2019s fiercest northern rivals. \u201cTel Aviv has reached finals before. I expect us to reach the final and win,\u201d Kaplan said with determination.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/","og_site_name":"Israel Rugby Union","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RugbyIsrael","article_published_time":"2025-09-20T23:15:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-22T08:08:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":960,"url":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-09-05-at-09.53.43_509f5fb6.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Dana Beutler","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@rugbyisrael","twitter_site":"@rugbyisrael","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dana Beutler","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/"},"author":{"name":"Dana Beutler","@id":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/#\/schema\/person\/5b98f0722ef0f79fea0bda2353cd4136"},"headline":"Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Embarks on a New Era with a Leading Coaching Team","datePublished":"2025-09-20T23:15:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-22T08:08:56+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/"},"wordCount":2175,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-09-05-at-09.53.43_509f5fb6.jpg","keywords":["Tel Aviv"],"articleSection":["Gallery","\u05de\u05d5\u05e4\u05d9\u05e2\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05e2\u05de\u05d5\u05d3 \u05d4\u05d1\u05d9\u05ea"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rugby.org.il\/en\/maccabi-tel-aviv-rugby-embarks-on-a-new-era-with-a-leading-coaching-team\/","name":"Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Embarks on a New Era with a Leading Coaching Team - 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