Johannesburg-born flanker Thomas Berman has signed for the Tel Aviv Heat.
Thomas is a classic modern day open sider who burst onto the scene by playing in every available 1st XV rugby match in his grade 11 and Matric year at the famous King Edward VII school in Houghton, Johannesburg, the alma mater of famous Springboks such as Bryan Habana and Malcolm Marx.
Berman was selected for one of the regional teams (Welpies) in his Matric year, but elected to tour with the SA Maccabi team at the 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel. While still a school boy, Berman’s skills, work rate, and ability to read the game proved critical, helping to propel South Africa to the gold medal in 7s and the silver medal in 15s.
Since matriculating, Berman has found himself as a Varsity Cup squad player at WITS, where he played for the Young Guns and the 1st XV. He also represented WITS in the Varsity Cup 7’s tournament.
A player who relies on his fitness and ability to be in the right place at the right time is surely going to make an impact on the field.
Thomas Berman on his rugby Journey towards the Tel Aviv Heat:
“I was fortunate enough to attend one of the most prestigious rugby boys schools in the country, King Edward VII, this paved the way for my love of the game I very thankful to my coaches, Deon De wet, Carl Spillhaus, Senna Esterhuizen and Mzeke Nkosi, who gave me my school boy rugby opportunities. In 2017 I was selected for the SA Maccabi rugby team which was coached by Kevin Musikanth and the late James Small. Kevin has mentored me during my rugby career since. I am really excited to be part of this Tel Aviv Heat squad. It is an exciting time for Israeli rugby to be in such a prestigious competition, as an openside flanker who lives for a good steal at the breakdown I look forward to making the club proud…“
Kevin Musikanth on Thomas Berman:
"Berman is a classic modern day opensider. History shows us that teams with genuine competent fetchers are traditionally successful in competitions. With the vast amount of breakdowns, players like Berman thrive by being a menace when defending and of course as a Michael Hooper-style player Berman has good ball carrying skills as well. Thomas is an underrated player in South Africa and he now gets his opportunity as a signed professional…”
Want to see Thomas in action? Check out the following video:
