Maccabi Rishon Letzion Owls Rugby Club (Hebrew: מועדון רוגבי מכבי ראשון לציון), known as the Owls, is a rugby club in central Israel. It is also spelled Macabbi Rishon Letzion Owls Rugby Club. Although it carries the name of Rishon LeZion, the club trains in Rehovot, and it is also known as Rehovot, as Rishon LeZion and as "the Owls of Rehovot/Rishon". Its best-known team is its women's sevens side.
History
The club was founded by Hagit Salmon, who was joined by Nurit Ofek, to spread rugby in Rehovot and the surrounding area and to promote the sport's development. The women's team grew out of the Weizmann Institute and the faculty in Rehovot, which is why the team is called the Owls, an animal regarded as wise.
The club has a stable women's team, which achieved significant results in the league in 2015–16. In the women's sevens league the Owls finished third in 2024/25 with 54 points. They took part in the 2024/25 women's championship tournament in Jerusalem and in the final tournament of the 2025 women's State Cup.
In the second round of the 2025/26 women's league, in November 2025, the Owls played in a combined team with Maccabi Tel Aviv, which was second after that round. After tournaments on 2 and 23 January 2026, the Owls were third in the 2025/26 women's sevens table with 24 points.
Ground
Senior teams train at Sportek Rehovot, and the youth team trains at the Weizmann Institute.
Teams and training
As of August 2026, the club has a women's team, a youth team, and a men's team in formation that was expected to take a full part in the sevens league in the coming season. Training times:
| Team | Training | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Sunday and Tuesday 19:00–21:00 | Sportek Rehovot |
| Women | Monday and Wednesday 19:00–21:00 | Sportek Rehovot |
| Youth | Monday and Wednesday 17:00–18:30 | Weizmann Institute |
Confirm times with the club.