Philadelphia, Pa. – The world’s third largest international multi-sport sporting event – The Maccabiah Games – is held in Israel every four years and sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.  Many notable athletes have competed in the Maccabiah Games including: Mark Spitz, Corey

Pavin, Lenny Krayzelburg, Mitch Gaylord and Jason Lezak.  The first Maccabiah Games took place in 1932 and the most recent Games, the 18^th Maccabiah, took place in 2009 featuring 7,500 athletes from 51 countries participating in 31 different sports.  Team USA consisted of 903 Americans, winning 284 medals.  The Maccabi USA Rugby Team took the bronze medal (Watch those highlights here) while Australia beat Great Britain for the gold.

Maccabi USA Rugby has a storied history at the Games and has been represented by top international and national level players including members of the USA Eagles, Senior All-Star teams and Collegiate All-Americans. Zachary Test, a member of the USA National Sevens Team and his cousin Jared Braun, a forward with the University of California Berkeley Bears, were both members of the 18^th Maccabiah USA Rugby Team.

The team competed as a territory in the Inter-Territorial Tournament (ITTs) in 1993.

Today the squad has the potential to include a few Eagles and some great territorial players, including Test, current star of the USA 7s team, and former 7s Eagle Dallen ‘Paki’ Stanford. These are exciting times for Maccabiah Rugby with the potential backline in 2013 seeing at least six players that have represented the US, either at senior, U20 and U 18 levels.

The USA Rugby team has competed continuously at the Maccabiah Games since 1985 and won the gold in 1997, defeating South Africa 23-22 and has medaled in all seven Maccabiah Games: ’85 – bronze; ’89 – bronze; ’93 – silver; ’97 – gold; ’01 – silver; ’05 – silver; and ’09 – bronze. Watch highlights of the US winning Gold in 1997.

Shawn Lipman, a former USA Eagle, will be the Head Coach for Maccabi USA Rugby at the 19^th Maccabiah Games in 2013. Lipman was the Captain of the USA Team that took the gold in 1997 and has also played in an additional four Maccabiah Games (View feature on Lipman, as well as being chosen as the US Flag Bearer in 1997). He has put together an impressive coaching staff with the primary goal to bring home the gold back to the USA in 2013.  Greg Schor-Haskin, a member of the 14^th and 18^th USA Maccabiah Rugby Team, will join Lipman as the Assistant Coach.

“We are very proud and excited to have Shawn and Greg lead us to gold in 2013.” said Maccabiah Rugby Chairman, Jeff Simon.

The rest of the coaching staff includes:

Marc Stcherbina (Coaching Development Coordinator - Backs) played professionally for well over a decade including the NSW Warratahs, Australian 7''s (winning medals at two Commonwealth Games), Biarritz, Northampton, Cardiff Blues, and Newport Gwent Dragons. His experience as a backline player will be invaluable to the squad.

Norm Mottram (Coaching Development Coordinator - Forwards) played for Scotland at age group level and provincially for Glasgow District. He then moved to the United States, playing for the West and USA Eagles, winning 9 caps and was part of the 1991 RWC squad. For the past two years Mottram served as the Director of Coach Development for USA Rugby and is currently on the IRB Scrum Steering Committee, a worldwide working group tasked with reviewing current scrum research and providing recommendations on potential law changes.

Mike Smith (Director of Fitness and Conditioning – West Coast) is a former US Eagle who now owns and runs CrossfitHB in Huntington Beach, California. He has worked with the All Blacks with rugby specific training and conditioning.

Aaron Manheimer (Director of Fitness and Conditioning – East Coast) is a former Maccabiah silver medalist player who has been instrumental in the success at the Chicago Lions 7s, and also owns and runs Body By Manheimer in Chicago.

David "Buzzy" Rudzinsky (Team Manager) played in the 1989 Maccabiah Games, and has been actively involved with Mystic River and youth rugby in the Boston area for many years.

Recruiting a world-class squad is the priority, with Lipman hoping to create a stand-out team in the USA Rugby community.  “My goal is to take the fittest, most skilled and committed team to Israel and bring back the gold medal,” Lippman said. “We’re looking to establish the Maccabiah Games as part of the USA Rugby scene once again, with the hope that some of our team members will go on to represent the USA at other international events.”

Maccabi USA is seeking Jewish Rugby athletes who are interested in representing the USA at the 19^th Maccabiah Games in Israel, July 2013.  Tryouts for the team will be held in Chicago this year over Labor Day weekend from August 31^st to September 3^rd.  The squad will then look to assemble two more times, one of them possibly during the Las Vegas Invitational, before leaving for Israel to take part in the 19^th Maccabiah Games from 18^th – 30^th July 2013.

Interested candidates should visit www.maccabiusa.com to fill out an application. For more information regarding qualifications, please contact Head Coach Shawn Lipman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Also, please join our facebook page, USA Maccabiah Rugby Team.

About the organization:

Maccabi USA (MUSA) is a federally-recognized not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs.  The organization is the official sponsor of the United States Team to the World Maccabiah Games, the Pan American Maccabi Games and the Maccabi competitions in Europe and Australia, as well as a sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America.  As the official Maccabi representative in the U.S., Maccabi USA supports Jewish athletic endeavors, enhanced by cultural and educational activities in the United States, Israel and throughout the Diaspora.

MUSA develops, promotes and supports international, national and regional athletic-based activities and facilities.  It strives to provide Jewish athletes the world over the opportunity to share their heritage and customs in competitive athletic settings.  MUSA supports programs that embody the Maccabi ideals of Jewish Continuity, Zionism and Excellence in Sport.  Maccabi USA Builds Jewish Pride Through Sports.