Rugby ATL
Rugby ATL brought professional rugby union to Atlanta from 2020 to 2023. Known to supporters as the Rattlers, the team reached the Major League Rugby Championship Final in 2021 and created a distinctive black, silver and red identity before the franchise relocated to Los Angeles.
Professional Rugby Comes to Atlanta
Major League Rugby announced Atlanta as an expansion market in September 2018, with the Rugby ATL name revealed in 2019. The team began league play in 2020, although that debut season was cut short when the wider MLR campaign was cancelled.
Rugby ATL developed around Georgia’s established rugby community and initially played at Lupo Family Field on the campus of Life University in Marietta. The club’s compact venue and Rattlers identity helped give its early home matches a character of their own.
Eastern Conference Champions in 2021
The high point of Rugby ATL’s four-season history came in 2021. Atlanta defeated Rugby United New York 10–9 at Lupo Family Field to win the Eastern Conference Final and secure a place in the MLR Championship Final.
Rugby ATL then faced the LA Giltinis at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The California side won 31–17, leaving Atlanta as the 2021 MLR runners-up but preserving the conference title as the club’s leading honour.
From Lupo Family Field to Silverbacks Park
Rugby ATL played its first seasons at Lupo Family Field. After the venue suffered flood damage in 2021, the team moved to Silverbacks Park for the 2022 season and remained there throughout its final two campaigns in Atlanta.
Both grounds form part of the Rugby ATL story. Lupo hosted the team’s conference-final victory, while Silverbacks Park became the home of the later Rattlers era.
The Rattlers
Supporters commonly knew Rugby ATL as the Rattlers. The nickname and rattlesnake imagery gave the club a recognisable identity connected to Georgia and appeared prominently during its 2021 championship run.
Rugby ATL should not be confused with Atlanta’s other rugby organisations. It was the city’s Major League Rugby team and competed professionally for four seasons before relocating.
Relocation After the 2023 Season
In August 2023, Major League Rugby announced that the Rugby ATL franchise would relocate for the following season. The team moved to California and became Rugby Football Club Los Angeles for 2024, bringing the Atlanta identity to an end.
Rugby ATL is therefore a former team rather than an active MLR club. Jerseys carrying its crest remain reminders of professional rugby’s Atlanta chapter, especially the Rattlers era and the run to the 2021 final.
Black, Silver and Rattlesnake Details
Black and silver defined much of Rugby ATL’s visual identity, with white and red used across crests, trim and alternate designs. Rattlesnake graphics made several shirts particularly distinctive, while the exact palette and detailing changed across the team’s short history.
This FanFile covers Rugby ATL as a team rather than one particular jersey. Check the crest, sponsor, manufacturer label and product code on your shirt to identify its season and edition.
Your Next Rugby Jersey Could Come from Anywhere
Enjoyed discovering the story behind Rugby ATL? Explore another club, country and rugby culture through an authentic mystery rugby jersey from Mystique Jerseys. Choose your size and tell us which teams you want to avoid before we select your surprise.