Austin’s major league rugby team is getting a new look.
The team, previously known as the Austin Herd and, earlier, as Austin Elite Rugby, has been purchased by Loyals LLC, an international rugby investment company based in Australia, according to a Jan. 29 press release. The team has also been redubbed the Austin Gilgronis, a name that references “a Texas-sized cocktail, to be released soon.”
“We are excited to bring Austin Gilgronis to Central Texas and share the excitement of rugby with Texas football fans," Matt Burgess, Loyals LLC CEO said in the release. "We look forward to bringing even more heat to Texas by introducing the Austin community to the rough and tumble world of rugby."
The Gilgronis will also relocate to the Circuit of the Americas in Southeast Austin for the 2020 season, which begins Feb. 9, after playing home games in 2018 and 2019 at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex. According to Burgess, matches this season will feature a range of pre-game entertainment, including “a human fireball, fire spinner, fire breathers, BBQ championships, cheerleading championships” and more.
