LA_Giltinis
LA Giltinis
Professional rugby union team from Los Angeles, California
The LA Giltinis were a Major League Rugby team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. The team was announced in 2020 and entered the league in the 2021 season as an expansion franchise. Owned by Adam Gilchrist and Loyals Rugby, the team was named for a yet-to-be-released drink, itself a portmanteau of "Gilchrist" and "martini".[1] The Giltinis were based in El Segundo, California, and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Darren Coleman was their first head coach.[2]
| Founded | May 28, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Disbanded | 2022 |
| Ground(s) | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Capacity: 77,500) |
| CEO | Adam Gilchrist |
| Coach(es) | Stephen Hoiles |
| Captain(s) | Dave Dennis |
| League(s) | Major League Rugby |
| 2022 | 2nd (Western Conference) |
| Official website | |
| giltinis | |
 Current season | |
The club won the MLR Shield in their inaugural season, but were disqualified from the playoffs in 2022. The Giltinis and the Austin Gilgronis—another MLR team owned by Gilchrist—were removed from the league in October 2022.
A potential Los Angeles expansion bid for MLR, led by LA Coast Rugby and Adam Gilchrist, was announced in 2018 with plans for the team to enter the league in 2019.[3] The team's bid was later replaced by a new proposal from Loyals Rugby, who were announced as the winners of the expansion team in 2020.[1][2] The team, named for a cocktail like the Austin Gilgronis, began play in 2021.[1] In its first season, the Giltinis posted a 12–4 record, hosted, and defeated Rugby ATL in the MLR final, winning the shield.[4]
During the 2022 season, MLR announced that the Giltinis and the Gilgronis—both owned by Gilchrist—were disqualified from the playoffs due to a violation of league rules, allegedly including salary cap issues.[5] Gilchrist filed suit against the league in June 2022; the two teams were expelled from the league in October following a failed attempt to sell both teams.[6]
The Giltinis played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a multi-use stadium in Exposition Park, Los Angeles.[7]
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–2022 | Paladin Sports | None |
The LA Giltinis squad for the 2022 Major League Rugby season was:[8]
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
- Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
- * denotes players qualified to play for the United States on dual nationality or residency grounds.
- MLR teams are allowed to field up to ten overseas players per match.
Head coaches
Darren Coleman (2021)- Stephen Hoiles (2021–2022)
Assistant coaches
Orene Ai’i (Backs, 2021–2022)- Adam Ashley-Cooper (Backs, 2022)[9]
- Dave Dennis (Forwards, 2022)[10]
Captains
- Dave Dennis (2021–2022)
LA Giltinis won the Major League Rugby Championship Shield in their inaugural season (2021).
Season standings
| Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/− | BP | Pts | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1st | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 545 | 305 | +240 | 11 | 63 | Won West Conference Final (Utah Warriors) 17–13 Won Major League Rugby final (Rugby ATL) 31-17 |
| 2022 | 2nd | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 468 | 340 | +128 | 11 | 57 | Disqualified [11] |
Honors
- Pengelly, Martin (June 1, 2020). "Major League Rugby announces LA Giltinis, second team named for a drink". The Guardian. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- "Major League Rugby Officially Welcomes the LA Giltinis" (Press release). Major League Rugby. May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- Carroll, Rory (July 11, 2018). "Los Angeles to get professional rugby team in 2019". Reuters. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- Evans, Luca (August 1, 2021). "Giltinis win Major League Rugby championship in debut season". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- Pengelly, Martin (June 7, 2022). "Major League Rugby in crisis as LA and Austin disqualified from playoffs". The Guardian. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- Pengelly, Martin (October 26, 2022). "LA and Austin out of MLR as US rugby faces further uncertainty". The Guardian. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- "Meet The Giltinis: LA's New Rugby Team to Open Play At Coliseum March 20". CBS Los Angeles. February 27, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- "LA Giltinis". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- "Major League Rugby in crisis as LA and Austin disqualified from playoffs". The Guardian. June 7, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
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