Same Ole Rugby ATL 2021

[lethalweapon3]

Alright, I can’t even front. I know next-to-nada about how the sport of Rugby works, and I dare not even “try” (see what I did there?). But in the midst of the Dream, the Bravos, and United all spinning their wheels in mud this summer, Atlanta has a decent shot at winning a professional sports trophy after all, and it may arrive as soon as August 1.

Rugby ATL was an expansion side for Major League Rugby in 2020. They play their home games at Lupo Family Field on the campus of Life University, the popular chiropractic college nestled just north of Dobbins Air Force Base in Cobb County.

The style of play in MLR is “rugby union”, facing off traditional 15-man units over the course of 40 minutes, as opposed to the free-flowing “rugby sevens” that we’ll see in Tokyo “202One”.

(Trigger Warning for you Ophidiophobes out there, as here's the new creature logo for the team...)

(Nah, I ain't skerred.)

Going by the nickname, the RATLERS (get it? “R ATL”?), they’re capably coached by Scott Lawrence, who coached USA Rugby’s U-20 side to a Junior World Trophy title in 2012, then turned Life U, an NAIA school in most programs, into a top-level collegiate rugby powerhouse.

With Lawrence overseeing the program from its inception, the Life U Eagles reached the D1-A Championship game every season from 2013-2019 against the nemesis Gaels of California’s St. Mary’s College, winning the titles in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2019. You Know What has kept the D1-A seasons from continuing, and the Eagles from three-peating. Life U plans to complete a new, enhanced field for rugby and other outdoor athletics next month.

The 2020 season kicked off and Rugby ATL did just fine, winning two of five contests through early March, before You Know What happened and the 2020 MLR season was suspended permanently. But they’re doing more than just fine in 2021 (most local matches have been aired on MyATL TV, which is how I got caught up with the action this summer). As of this writing, they’re the MLR Eastern Conference regular season champions, a run of nine victories over the past ten matches that surged the RATLERS to an 11-0-4 record (W-D-L).

ATL’s 7-0-1 home record was accomplished while basically sharing their field half the time. Due to You Know What, MLR and Life U agreed to host the entire home season of the Toronto Arrows. Stuck stateside due to Canadian restrictions, the Arrows played valiantly but closed out their season last in the MLR East with a 5-0-11 mark.

While they’re infused with a number of American-born players, Atlanta’s roster, like most in MLR, is stacked with players from rugby-loving nations around the globe, including South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, and even island nations like Fiji and Tonga. Lawrence’s side has none of the league’s leaders in scoring or tries, but as MLR’s website previewing the “Championship Series” playoffs noted, ATL is “a very well-rounded side that is uncompromising in defense and brutal in attack.”

A dress-up match in New England on Sunday afternoon will precede the Eastern Conference Final, to be hosted at Life U next Friday night, July 24 (8 PM Eastern; check your local listings, but I’ll bet it will be aired on CBS Sports Network). The RATLERS will face Rugby Union New York, “RUNY” being the last team to knock off ATL, in June at their St. John’s University field. New York provided ATL’s only home defeat back in April.

The two Western Conference finalists, the expansion side LA Giltinis and the Utah Warriors, have both been vanquished this season in head-to-heads with ATL, the RATLERS having traveled to Salt Lake to knock off the Warriors just last weekend. If Atlanta’s club can figure out the riddle and get past RUNY, they’ll play either here or in L.A. on August 1 for 2021’s MLR season championship (to be aired on your main CBS station).

Here’s hoping for the best. After all, since the Hawks’ glorious playoff run ended, Atlanta could sorely use some good sports news! Tickets begin going on sale today, at https://rugbyatl.showare.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=13 . You can go to https://rugbyatl.rugby/ to find out more about the team, and https://www.majorleague.rugby/ to learn more about the pro league.

 

Let’s Go RATLERS!

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

Ok this is absolutely bad a$$! I had no idea there was rugby here in the states. That’s pretty awesome. I don’t know much about the sport either but I do like the physicality of it very much.

Nice name and logo too although as much as Trae hates birds I hate rats lol. 

[lethalweapon3]

22-5 up in Greater Boston for the Free Jacks (New England's having a nice weekend versus ATL teams, eh?), versus a half-staffed Rugby ATL club, They're on FS1 and about to punt off the second half for folks interested in a sneak-peek ahead of this week's conference final.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

I'm too lazy to go back and edit, but the 24th (the date of the Eastern Conference Final) is Saturday at 8 PM, not Friday night. Or, as the fans will call it, "ssssssssssssSaturday".

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Atlanta does get their EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS after all!

'Twas a nail-biter with a successful last-dash try by the RATLers in the closing minutes! Root for a road win by the Utah Warriors in L.A. tomorrow evening. If so, the MLR Championship will be next Sunday here in the ATL!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Today's the Big Day in L.A.!

Here at home, ATL beat the Giltinis back in their sole matchup in May. If all goes well today, I propose a parade route from The Big Chicken to Marietta Square.

 

Let's Go RATLERS!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Wait 'til next year!

~lw3