# LA Giltinis

The LA Giltinis were a Major League Rugby team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. The team was announced in 2020 and entered the league in the 2021 season as an expansion franchise. Owned by Adam Gilchrist and Loyals Rugby, the team was named for a yet-to-be-released drink, itself a portmanteau of "Gilchrist" and "martini". The Giltinis were based in El Segundo, California, and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Darren Coleman was their first head coach.
The club won the MLR Shield in their inaugural season, but were disqualified from the playoffs in 2022. The Giltinis and the Austin Gilgronis—another MLR team owned by Gilchrist—were removed from the league in October 2022.

## History

A potential Los Angeles expansion bid for MLR, led by LA Coast Rugby and Adam Gilchrist, was announced in 2018 with plans for the team to enter the league in 2019. The team's bid was later replaced by a new proposal from Loyals Rugby, who were announced as the winners of the expansion team in 2020. The team, named for a cocktail like the Austin Gilgronis, began play in 2021. In its first season, the Giltinis posted a 12–4 record, hosted, and defeated Rugby ATL in the MLR final, winning the shield.
During the 2022 season, MLR announced that the Giltinis and the Gilgronis—both owned by Gilchrist—were disqualified from the playoffs due to a violation of league rules, allegedly including salary cap issues. Gilchrist filed suit against the league in June 2022; the two teams were expelled from the league in October following a failed attempt to sell both teams.

## Stadium

The Giltinis played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a multi-use stadium in Exposition Park, Los Angeles.

## Sponsorship

| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| 2021–2022 | Paladin Sports | None |

## Roster

The LA Giltinis squad for the 2022 Major League Rugby season was:
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
| Player | Position | Union |
| Lindsey Stevens | Hooker | Canada |
| Joe Taufeteʻe | Hooker | United States |
| Andrew Tuala | Hooker | Samoa |
| Charlie Abel | Prop | Australia |
| Fred Apulu | Prop | Samoa |
| Marco Fepulea'i | Prop | Samoa |
| Leslie Leuluaʻialiʻi-Makin | Prop | Australia |
| Djustice Sears-Duru | Prop | Canada |
| Nathan Den Hoedt | Lock | Australia |
| Dave Dennis (c) | Lock | Australia |
| Sam Peri | Lock | United States |
| Corey Thomas | Lock | Canada |
| Luke White | Lock | United States |
| Adam Ashe | Back row | Scotland |
| Zach Bonte | Back row | United States |
| Cyrille Cama | Back row | United States |
| Angus Cottrell | Back row | Australia |
| Hanco Germishuys | Back row | United States |
| Langilangi Haupeakui | Back row | United States |
| Christian Poidevin* | Back row | Australia |
| Player | Position | Union |
| Harrison Goddard | Scrum-half | Australia |
| Cristian Rodriguez | Scrum-half | United States |
| Tas Smith | Scrum-half | United States |
| Orene Ai'i | Fly-half | New Zealand |
| Luke Carty | Fly-half | United States |
| Matt Giteau | Fly-half | Australia |
| Luke Burton | Centre | Australia |
| Will Chambers | Centre | Australia |
| Ben LeSage | Centre | Canada |
| Bill Meakes | Centre | Australia |
| Adam Channel | Wing | United States |
| Brooklyn Hardaker | Wing | Australia |
| Ryan James | Wing | United States |
| Kahanu Koi | Wing | United States |
| D'Montae Noble | Wing | United States |
| John Ryberg | Wing | United States |
| D. T. H. van der Merwe | Wing | Canada |
| Tom Mitchell | Fullback | England |
| Jordan Trainor | Fullback | New Zealand |
* Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
* * denotes players qualified to play for the United States on dual nationality or residency grounds.
* MLR teams are allowed to field up to ten overseas players per match.

### Head coaches

* Darren Coleman (2021)
* Stephen Hoiles (2021–2022)

### Assistant coaches

* Orene Ai’i (Backs, 2021–2022)
* Adam Ashley-Cooper (Backs, 2022)
* Dave Dennis (Forwards, 2022)

### Captains

* Dave Dennis (2021–2022)

## Records

LA Giltinis won the Major League Rugby Championship Shield in their inaugural season (2021).

### Season standings

| Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/− | BP | Pts | Playoff results |
| 2021 | 1st | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 545 | 305 | +240 | 11 | 63 | Won West Conference Final (Utah Warriors) 17–13 Won Major League Rugby final (Rugby ATL) 31-17 |
| 2022 | 2nd | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 468 | 340 | +128 | 11 | 57 | Disqualified |

### Honors

* Major League Rugby
** Champions: 2021
** Playoff appearances: 2021