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Major League Rugby have spoken. After months of silence, the league confirmed on Tuesday that the Austin Gilgronis and LA Giltinis will no longer be competing. Also confirmed is the addition of a new team in 2023. Though MLR did not name the group, ARN understands that Chicago will be the 12th side.
Both Austin and LA were owned by Adam Gilchrist, co-founder of the F45 gym franchise. He was forced to step down as CEO of the company after its share price dropped dramatically earlier this year and has not make a public appearance since.
Gilchrist was in the process of selling the Austin team when MLR discovered irregularities in the accounts. Allegations of a salary cap breach were then made, and according to the league they were denied the opportunity to fully investigate. MLR disqualified the Gilgronis from the postseason, and the same penalty was then levied against the Giltinis.
The sale of Austin did not go through before their deadline. LA were afforded extra time and ARN has learned that an 11th-hour deal was tabled, but current MLR owners declined the terms of the offer. A statement from league Commissioner George Killebrew reads as follows:
“While we understand that this news is disappointing for the fans, players, and stakeholders of these two teams, this decision was made after much deliberation and counsel, and with the best interests of the league in mind. Our league is invested in long-term success. It is vital for us to give our teams and their loyal fanbases the best chance of succeeding both on and off the field in 2023.”
Austin were one of seven teams that competed in the inaugural 2018 MLR campaign. They went through a tumultuous period with two re-brands and three home venues, with Gilchrist taking over ownership just ahead of the 2020 campaign. Having set a league record for consecutive defeats that stretched from 2018 to 2020, they finally achieved a winning mark in 2021 and were at the top of the Western Conference table at the time of their suspension.
The Giltinis were an expansion side entered by Gilchrist in 2021. Headlined by former Wallabies Dave Dennis, Matt Giteau, and Adam Ashley-Cooper, the team raised the MLR Shield in their first season. After a sluggish start in 2022 and hampered by several injuries, LA rebounded to close to within one game of Austin at the end of the regular season.
Chicago will be MLR’s first team in the Midwest region. The city was one of nine intended to form the league when plans were revealed in 2017, a professional offshoot of the Chicago Lions. ARN understands that the new group, with Irish links among its ownership, is not directly affiliated with the club.
Other details such as team name and venue have not been revealed. A potential home venue could be SeatGeek Stadium, formerly known as Toyota Park, that hosted the USA’s international match against the New Zealand Māori in 2016. The 28,000 seat facility is located approximately 15 miles west of downtown’s Soldier Field, the home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
MLR have confirmed that the league will continue with a 16-game regular season and conference format in 2023. While Chicago’s future is undoubtedly in the East, ARN understands that the expansion side will temporarily compete in the West to solve the imbalance issue. Direct airline coverage makes it more suitable to regular long-distance travel than New Orleans.
Putting a competitive team together in time for the 2023 season will be a challenge for the new side. There will be several high profile domestic players now available from the LA and Austin rosters. MLR says that a dispersal draft will be held, though recruitment is already largely complete for most returning teams and there is no indication of a temporary bump in salary cap to accommodate further signings.
For the time being the league will move forward with just one California side, the San Diego Legion, though there remains two in Texas – the Houston SaberCats and Dallas Jackals. MLR says they intend to continue their support for Austin and LA with a eye to bringing teams back to those cities in the future.
“These markets and their fans demonstrated their support for the game and proved to be cities in which the league intends to have a long-term presence. With that in mind, MLR, with USA Youth & High School, will work with Rugby Texas and SoCal Youth Rugby on the imminent relaunch of Rookie Rugby as well as the expansion of rugby in community colleges.”
