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Ex-England prospect Gabriel Ibitoye makes shock Tel Aviv switch
Gabriel Ibitoye, the former England age-grade World Cup finalist, has completed a shock move to Tel Aviv Heat, the Israel club that will be taking on Georgian and Russian clubs in the eastern conference of the Rugby Europe Super Cup. The move comes just over a year after Ibitoye quit Harlequins for an unsuccessful stint in France with Agen and then on loan at Montpellier.
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Ibitoye had been making quite a name for himself in the Premiership, scoring eight tries in his 23 league appearances, but he felt during lockdown stoppage of the 2019/20 season that his future was best served elsewhere and he decided to sign for Agen.
That alliance wasn’t a happy one, however, as Ibitoye played just seven times for the club that is now back in Pro D2 following relegation. So dissatisfied was the English winger that a loan spell was arranged at Montpellier where he finished out the Top 14 season.
With his time in France over, he has since been a free agent and the 23-year-old has now surprisingly popped up in Israel, embracing an adventure no one could have ever foreseen him making when a rising star at Harlequins just a couple of years ago.
Demetri Catrakilis, who spent two years playing at Harlequins, has been the makeweight in the deal, his association with Ibitoye helping to convince the player to give the Israeli club a chance. “I’m extremely excited to be working with a great talent like Gabs. He has proven himself at the highest level and we are fortunate he is part of our squad,” said Catrakilis, the Heat’s attack coach, on the club’s website.
Scintillating Gabriel Ibitoye Will Light Up the Super Cup with The Tel Aviv Heat!
Exciting outside back Gabriel Ibitoye is bringing his electric, try-scoring skills to the Tel Aviv Heat.https://t.co/X1urLYtzli pic.twitter.com/13G8YHx2Vf— Tel Aviv Heat (@TelAvivHeat) September 24, 2021
“Gabs will bring great excitement to our squad and the tournament as a whole. There is no doubt in my mind that has a great future ahead of him and we will do our best to give him the platform and environment to express himself to do what he does best. I’m very much looking forward to coaching him.”
Ibitoye added: “I’m excited to be joining up with the Tel Aviv Heat. It’s a great opportunity to play with new players in a different environment. Looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead and hope to make some history in this new franchise.
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Kevin Musikanth, the Tel Aviv director of rugby who has also signed Nic Groom, said: “Gabs is an unbelievable rugby player. It is not just his physical abilities and work ethic that makes him world-class, it is his ability to read the game and be in the perfect places to express his talents. He does this with great energy.
“He has the makings of a real global superstar and I look forward to the influence he will have on the growth of the game in our region and of course the excitement that he will provide for the inaugural Rugby Europe Super Cup competition and its fan base.”
It was March 2019, shortly after a contract renewal at The Stoop, when Ibitoye spoke to RugbyPass about the hopes and dreams he had for his career. “I spoke to Paul (Gustard) and we have a plan of where we think I’m heading. He seemed like the right man to help me progress as efficiently and as quickly as possible to where I want to be in a few years’ time, so it was an easy decision to make in the end.
“The goal for every young rugby player is to represent their country. That is the ultimate goal for me, to represent England and win the World Cup, but there are a lot of small stepping stones I have got to take before eventually doing that. I need to cement a starting spot at Harlequins and become a big player for them. That will come first and then playing consistently week in and week out to catch Eddie Jones’ attention, that will put me in a good position to be able to represent my country.”
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Great article about @_gabs11 on @RugbyPass which reflects everything that @sebsfoundation is about. @SebOlule1 was another Arsenal-loving Croydon boy rejected on the football pitch. @sebsfoundation breaks down barriers so that young people can fulfill their potential in rugby. https://t.co/JnwJiA0wSM
— SebsFoundation (@sebsfoundation) March 23, 2019
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments