Tel Aviv Ibex (Hebrew: אייבקס תל אביב; Arabic: آيبكس تل ابيب) is a rugby union club based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is the first and only LGBTQ+ inclusive men's rugby club in Western Asia.[1]
| Full name | Tel Aviv Ibex Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Emblem(s) | Nubian ibex |
| Founded | 2021; 3 years ago (2021) |
| Ground(s) | Sportek Tel Aviv, Yarkon Park |
| Coach(es) | Michal Vaizman (2021/2022); Jeremy Schauder (2022- ) |
| Largest win | |
| Bingham Cup Gladiator Plate (2024) | |
| Official website | |
| www | |
The club was founded in 2021 with just ten players, most of whom had not played rugby before.[1] One founding member later described to Mako News how as a school kid he was always "the student chosen last in sports lessons".[2] The club was initially named the Tel Aviv Leviathans, later renaming, getting the new name from the desert-dwelling species of wild goat native to the Levant.
The club affiliated with the Academic Sports Association (ASA) in 2022,[2] and in 2023 became a member of International Gay Rugby.[3]
In April 2023 Ibex partnered with two other inclusive clubs — the Berkshire Unicorns and the Bristol Bisons — to compete at the Union CupinBirmingham. Ibex contributed four players to a joint team playing under the Berkshire Unicorns banner.
In May 2023 the club won a national sevens tournament[2] hosted by Yizre'el Rugby Club.
The club competed at the biennial Bingham CupinRome in May 2024,[1] winning the Gladiator Plate.
Ibex counts both members of the LGBTQ+ community and straight allies amongst its players.[2]
According to an i24NEWS news report on the club in June 2024, Ibex counts both Jewish Israelis and Palestinians amongst its team,[1] with the report describing it as "a delicate coexistence that keeps politics off the rugby pitch, but forces the players to encounter viewpoints they might not otherwise hear". Members also include players who are from neither Jewish nor Arab backgrounds.[2]
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