Rugby Football Club Los Angeles Overview
Rugby Football Club Los Angeles (RFCLA) was a professional rugby union team based in Los Angeles, California, that competed in Major League Rugby (MLR) from 2024 until its merger in 2025. Originally founded in 2018 as Rugby ATL in Atlanta, Georgia, the franchise relocated to Los Angeles under new ownership and began competing in the Western Conference during the 2024 season. The team played its home games at Wallis Annenberg Stadium and represented a significant expansion of professional rugby presence on the West Coast of the United States. In July 2025, RFCLA merged with San Diego Legion to form the California Legion, creating a unified statewide professional rugby franchise and marking the end of RFCLA as an independent entity.
Throughout its history, the organization demonstrated competitive resilience and developed notable talent within American rugby. The franchise won the 2022 Rugby Allstars Championship and produced several standout players who contributed to the growth of rugby union in the United States. Despite its relatively brief existence as RFCLA, the team established itself as a competitive force in Major League Rugby and maintained a passionate following in Southern California during its one season of competition in Los Angeles.
Founding and Organizational Origins
On September 21, 2018, Major League Rugby announced that Atlanta was selected as one of the expansion markets joining the league for its inaugural season. The team name “Rugby ATL” was officially revealed on February 26, 2019, giving the franchise a distinct identity tied to its Georgia home base. Before entering official MLR competition, the organization established an exhibition side called 404 Rugby, which played matches against established clubs including Mystic River, NYAC, Old Blue, and USA Rugby men’s club champions Life University between September and November 2019. These exhibition games provided valuable preparation and helped establish early organizational infrastructure.
The franchise operated under the ownership of S. Marcus Calloway until his death, after which the team’s ownership was placed into an investment group that acquired control on an interim basis. This transition period required careful management to keep Rugby ATL operational while seeking permanent ownership. The investment group successfully maintained the franchise’s operations through this leadership transition, ensuring continuity for players, staff, and supporters until a new ownership group could be secured in 2023.
Growth Into Major League Rugby Competition
Rugby ATL began its competitive journey at Lupo Family Field on the campus of Life University in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. The team played its first three seasons at this venue, building its foundation within the rugby community and developing its player roster against established MLR competition. However, the facility faced significant challenges when flooding damaged the field in September 2021, forcing the organization to relocate operations to Silverbacks Park ahead of the 2022 season. This venue change required organizational adjustments but did not disrupt the team’s competitive trajectory.
The franchise achieved a notable milestone by winning the 2022 Rugby Allstars Championship, defeating the Atlanta Hawks with a commanding 35-0 victory in the final. Jason Damm scored all tries during the championship match, showcasing the team’s offensive capabilities and establishing himself as a key player for the organization. This championship victory provided the franchise with its first major trophy and validated the developmental investments made during the early seasons of competition.
Rugby Football Club Los Angeles Competitive Journey
Rugby ATL transitioned through multiple phases of competitive development before its relocation to Los Angeles. The franchise navigated ownership changes, venue relocations, and the global coronavirus pandemic, which cancelled the 2020 MLR season entirely. After establishing stability under new ownership acquired in 2023, the organization made the strategic decision to relocate to Los Angeles for the 2024 season, representing a major geographic shift and a fresh opportunity for growth in a new market.
Early Seasons and Development (2019–2023)
The initial years of the franchise focused on building competitive infrastructure and establishing a presence within the American rugby landscape. The 2019 and 2020 seasons were largely developmental, with the 2020 campaign interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and ultimately cancelled before completion. These early seasons allowed the organization to recruit and develop talent, with several players emerging as consistent performers. Matt Heaton accumulated 69 caps during his tenure with the franchise, becoming the most capped player in team history, while Kurt Coleman established himself as the leading scorer with 174 points.
Jason Damm became the franchise’s most prolific try-scorer with 22 touchdowns, demonstrating his value as an attacking weapon and earning recognition as a key figure in the team’s offensive strategies. The 2022 Rugby Allstars Championship victory served as a defining achievement during this developmental period, providing tangible success and momentum heading into subsequent seasons. The organization continued refining its roster and operational approaches throughout these formative years, positioning itself for the strategic relocation that would follow.
Relocation and Rebranding to Los Angeles (2023–2024)
On August 2, 2023, Major League Rugby announced that Rugby ATL would relocate to a yet-to-be-announced location for the 2024 season, signaling the end of the franchise’s Georgia chapter. Five days later, on August 17, the league confirmed Los Angeles as the destination city, marking Major League Rugby’s return to the Southern California market following the departure of the LA Giltinis in October 2022. On December 21, 2023, the franchise officially adopted the name Rugby Football Club Los Angeles, with the abbreviation RFCLA becoming its standard identity.
The move to Los Angeles brought new ownership and fresh strategic direction for the organization. RFCLA announced it would play home games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, a venue well-suited for rugby competition and located within the broader Los Angeles metropolitan area. This relocation represented both a geographic shift and a rebranding opportunity, allowing the franchise to establish new connections with Southern California rugby enthusiasts while building upon the organizational foundations established in Atlanta.
Final Season and Merger (2024–2025)
RFCLA competed in the Western Conference during the 2024 season, representing Major League Rugby’s re-expansion into the Los Angeles market. The team played its matches at Wallis Annenberg Stadium, establishing a home base within the city of Los Angeles proper. In its inaugural season under the RFCLA banner, the franchise demonstrated competitive viability and built a foundation for future growth in the California rugby community.
However, after just one season of competition in Los Angeles, major organizational changes were announced. In July 2025, it was confirmed that Rugby Football Club Los Angeles and San Diego Legion would merge to create a single statewide professional rugby franchise called The California Legion. This merger represented a strategic consolidation within Major League Rugby, combining resources and fan bases from two California markets into one unified organization. The merger officially ended RFCLA’s brief existence as an independent entity on July 30, 2025, after which all operations transferred to the newly formed California Legion franchise.
Rugby Football Club Los Angeles Achievements and Results
Despite its abbreviated existence as RFCLA, the franchise accumulated several notable accomplishments throughout its history spanning from its 2018 founding through its 2025 merger. The organization demonstrated consistent competitiveness within Major League Rugby while developing American rugby talent and building community connections across two major metropolitan areas.
Major League Rugby Achievements
Within Major League Rugby competition, RFCLA and its predecessor franchise Rugby ATL competed as a legitimate mid-table presence throughout their seasons. The 2025 season saw the team finish third in the Western Conference and advance to the conference semi-finals of the playoffs, demonstrating continued competitive development under the Los Angeles banner. The franchise’s ability to reach the playoffs in its first season in the Western Conference represented meaningful success and validated the strategic decision to relocate.
Rugby Allstars Championship
The franchise’s most prestigious achievement came through winning the 2022 Rugby Allstars Championship, a competition featuring top players from across the league. The championship final saw RFCLA (then Rugby ATL) deliver a dominant 35-0 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, with Jason Damm scoring all tries in the match. This comprehensive victory showcased the quality of the organization’s player development and competitive preparation, providing the franchise with a major trophy that highlighted its success at the highest levels of American club rugby.