LA Giltinis won the Major League Rugby championship in its inaugural season with a 31-17 victory over Rugby ATL on Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Each team registered a penalty to start 3-3 by the first hydration break. LA Giltnis took a 12-point lead on tries by John Ryberg to take control of the match for good. Marko Jansen Van Rensburg’s try brought ATL Rugby within five points, 15-10, at the half. LA pulled away in the second half with a try from D.T.H. van der Merwe and two more penalties from Matt Giteau.

The final was a rematch from earlier in the season when Rugby ATL held off LA Giltinis 17-12 on May 29, one of just four losses on the season for the first-year franchise.

An estimated 7,000 fans were in attendance.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray attempts a shot in the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Indiana Fever, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Atlanta. (/Colin Hubbard/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

UPS driver Dan Partyka delivers an overnight package. As more people buy more goods online, the rapid and unrelenting expansion of e-commerce is causing real challenges for the Sandy-Springs based company. (Bob Andres/AJC 2022)

Credit: TNS