Israel's rugby team achieved a historic and particularly dramatic achievement by defeating Malta 16-15 – their first-ever victory against the Mediterranean nation, which is ranked 23 places above Israel in the world rankings of the sport. Beyond the sporting achievement, the match ended with a tense incident when a hostile crowd in the stands began waving Palestinian flags and cursing at the Israeli players, which led to an exceptional response from the players themselves.
בפרצוף: נבחרת ישראל ברוגבי ניצחה 16-15 את נבחרת מלטה - ואת אוהדיה - שצרחו וצעקו במושבי האצטדיון לחינם. אה, וככה נראה ונשמע הפנדל שהכריע את ההתמודדות: @Now14Israel pic.twitter.com/1j68BNJH6v
— Nati Langermann (@NatiLang32) April 6, 2025
The match, which was conducted in a sporting atmosphere throughout most of it, took a sharp turn moments after the competition ended. With the playing of the Israeli anthem, a group of about 60-70 fans began waving Palestinian flags and cursing the team. The players, who were then standing in the traditional line, were forced to deal with a particularly charged moment.
"It looked like a normal game, but suddenly during the anthem, a few seconds after the victory, 60-70 fans raised Palestinian flags and started singing and cursing at us," Gur Levy, a team player, said. "We were confused among ourselves for a few seconds about what to do. We hugged each other tightly and looked each other in the eyes – and then just sang the anthem as loudly as possible, to silence them."
In response to the events, two of the team's players, Yishai Avrahami and Gur Levy, approached the hostile crowd, proudly raised the Israeli flag, and even had their picture taken against the background of the protesters. The image instantly went viral and generated significant reactions on social media in Israel and worldwide.
Federation Chairman Ofer Hamburger told Israel Hayom, "On the field, it was a strong, tense, and fair game, while Palestinian flags were raised in the stands and there were shouts of abuse toward the Israeli players. The rugby players, who are fighters by nature, did not need a motivational talk to get fired up on the field. It should be noted that the protesters have no connection to the rugby federation and the local crowd, and we received excellent hospitality from all Maltese parties. The final result positions the team as a contender for a playoff spot for promotion in Europe. Go go Israel."
