Leo Camron

[2][3] In 1952, Camron organised independent Israel's first rugby match, between a group of South Africans, and a team of parachutists in the IDF.

[3] The game proved fairly popular in the IDF, thanks partly to its emphasis on aggression and team tactics.

[1] Camron made an attempt to get the IDF to adopt the game, but was unsuccessful due to institutional bureaucracy.

[3] This was a bitter blow to his campaign, and led to him taking a more passive role in Israeli rugby until its revival by another group of South African immigrants in the 1970s.

[2] Like rugby, cricket had been played in Palestine during the British Mandate period, but had declined suddenly when Israel became independent.