Maccabi Haifa Wild Boars Rugby Club

The club was founded in 1971 by Alan Brazg, then a student at the Technion in Haifa. Its first players were mainly immigrants from South Africa. In Hebrew the club spells his name אלן בראז. In 1972 the club was one of the founders of the Israel Rugby Union. Its nickname, the Wild Boars, comes from the wild boars common on Mount Carmel.

The women's team was founded in 2005 by Erez Weiss. In 2018 the rugby section joined the Maccabi Haifa Carmel sports club.

The men finished third of eight teams in the national league in 2022–23, and the 2023–24 tournament was cancelled after the outbreak of war on 7 October 2023. In 2024/25 the club, as Maccabi Haifa Carmel, was one of eight registered men's teams, and training in Haifa was irregular because of the war. The men finished fifth in the 2024/25 league with 11 points. In the play-offs they beat the Hasharon-Raanana Roosters 19–7 on 9 March 2025 and Ashkelayim 34–19. In 2025/26 they were eighth in the regular-season table on −8 points after a ten-point technical deduction.

In the women's sevens league the team finished fifth in 2024/25 with 30 points and sixth in 2025/26 with 9 points. It took part in the 2024/25 women's championship tournament in Jerusalem.

Honours by the club's count:

• Yizrael Sevens tournament winners (women): 2007
• Eilat Games, first place (women): 2009
• Second in the national rankings (women): four consecutive seasons (seasons not named)
• Third place, national league (men): 2022–23

The club's main ground is the Curly Krieger Municipal Athletics Stadium in Neve Sha'anan, Haifa, which has a grass pitch, a running track, a clubhouse, parking and changing rooms. The club also trains on a synthetic pitch at the Atos fields, near the Haifa International Convention Center on Kdoshei Yasi Street. As of August 2026, home matches are played on Fridays at 11:00 at the Krieger stadium. In the past the club also used Beit Biram, and held occasional sessions on the beach.

The adult men's team trains three times a week and welcomes players of every level, from complete beginners to veterans. The women's team trains alongside the men. The youth section has four age groups: up to 10, up to 12, up to 14 and up to 16.

Adult training times as of August 2026:

Confirm times with the club.

The first practice is always free and needs no experience or special kit. There is no heavy contact on the first day, and a mouthguard is needed from the second session. As of August 2026, fees were ₪1,200 a year for adult men or women, ₪600 a year for students and soldiers in the men's team, and ₪300 a month for youth players plus a one-time ₪100 registration fee that includes two training shirts and a mouthguard. Players register through Maccabi Haifa and separately with the Israel Rugby Union. Joining information is available in Hebrew, English, Russian and Arabic.

By one count, the Technion is the only institution in Israel with a rugby course that students can take as part of their degree.

The club sees itself as built on inclusivity, with players from every background: Arabs and Jews; atheists, Christians, Muslims, Druze and Bahá'í; LGBTQ+ and straight. It stands for coexistence and equality on and off the pitch. Its annual traditions include a Purim practice, an Old vs. Young match between veterans and younger players, an end-of-season party and a yearly tour. The tour for 22 August 2026 was the Erfurt Beach Rugby Festival, which is not organised by Maccabi Haifa.

• Club website (English)
• Maccabi Haifa rugby page
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