Head coach Kevin Musikanth says the Tel Aviv Heat squad were “saddened” by SA Rugby’s decision to remove the Israeli club from the upcoming Mzansi Challenge.
The Israel-based team with a heavy South African flavour were scheduled to compete in the new competition with four other international teams and six SA provinces set to commence next month. However, the team was advised on Friday that the invitation had been withdrawn.
“We have listened to the opinions of important stakeholder groups and have taken this decision to avoid the likelihood of the competition becoming a source of division, notwithstanding the fact that Israel is a full member of World Rugby and the IOC,” said SA Rugby president Mark Alexander.
SA Rugby has come under fire for withdrawing an invitation, yet Musikanth – who is Jewish – took no personal offense to the decision. But, he lamented the chance lost for his players and coaches, as well as the impact on their livelihood.
The former Ikeys coach told News24 and Netwerk24: “We were very surprised because we were bona fide participants and everything changed in 24 hours.
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“I, of course, had to speak to the players and the coaches but other than what was put in the press, that’s the only information that I had. It all happened very quickly.
“When Saru approached me [about the Mzansi Challenge], it was a no-brainer at that point, and we were really excited about it. We’re obviously very disappointed and very saddened by it.
“Rugby is a great leveller for any kind of diversity. One thing you can do is play together. Whether we’re aware of it or not in this particular instance, there are things that are way outside ‘my pay grade’.
“I want to focus on the rugby and the lost opportunities. We have players from around the world, not only South African, from Fiji and England that have lost out on this now.
Musikanth added: “We have guys who are now without an income. They relied on this to feed their families. At the last minute, they are now without opportunities.
“One of the reasons why they came here was precisely because they didn’t have opportunities. The players, coaches and other stakeholders would’ve been contracted all along.”
Photo: Tel Aviv Heat