Israel’s women’s rugby sevens team finished third out of 11 nations at the Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Conference Championship in Andorra, defeating Slovakia 14-12 in the bronze-medal match.
The Israeli squad recovered from a difficult start after losing to Finland in the pool stage, then responded with decisive victories over Luxembourg, 46-0, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 45-5, to secure a place in the knockout rounds.
Israel maintained its momentum in the quarterfinals with a 41-0 win over Bulgaria, advancing to the semifinals. The team narrowly missed out on a place in the final after a 24-19 loss to Latvia, but returned to the field strongly in the third-place playoff, holding off Slovakia 14-12 to seal a podium finish.
Emma Lipschitz, Ella Nini and Jessica Tolchin were among Israel’s standout performers throughout the tournament. The competition also marked the integration of several new players into the national team, with Anna Rogatnikov scoring her first try for Israel against Latvia, Shahar Tzafrir also crossing for her first international try and Maya Zini making her senior international debut.
“I am incredibly proud of this team,” captain Michal Lahak said. “Every player who stepped onto the field brought her own unique strengths, commitment and determination. Finishing third is a tremendous achievement, but more than that, it reflects the hard work and passion that every single player brought to the pitch.
“I would like to thank our coaching staff, everyone who supported us behind the scenes, our families and friends, and every player who gave everything for one another. We leave this tournament with an enormous sense of pride and an even greater motivation to continue building women's rugby in Israel.”
Gabi Gordon, manager of Israel’s women’s rugby team, said the result reflected the team’s progress over the past two years.
“Congratulations to our outstanding players,” Gordon said. “This tournament reflects the tremendous investment and dedication that has gone into this team over the past two years. This squad is like a family, constantly supporting and caring for one another, and I feel privileged to be part of it. A huge well done to every player who represented Israel with pride and left everything on the field to earn a bronze medal.”