This page summarises the 2021 Major League Rugby season. It contains the Regular season tables and playoff structure of the season, as well as League-leaders in various categories and All-MLR teams and League Awards.
2021 was the 4th season in MLR history and saw the addition of the LA Giltinis, owned by Adam Gilchrist, the same man who owned the Austin Gilgronis (hence the names). The Giltinis were a star-studded, Australian influenced outfit playing out of the gargantuan, 77,000 capacity Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 2021 also saw the first team departure in league history, as the Colorado (formerly Glendale) Raptors withdrew from MLR citing a lack of focus on developing home grown American talent to represent the National Team. The Raptors would eventually join Super Rugby Americas as the ‘American Raptors’, signing a partnership with the Columbian Rugby Federation for their inaugural season in 2023.
With 1 team joining and another leaving, the league stayed at 12 teams divided into the Eastern and Western Conferences once again. As was the plan for 2020, each team would face the other teams in their conference home and away, and every team in the opposing conference home or away to make up a 16 game regular season.
Due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and unpredictable border restrictions between the USA and Canada, the Toronto Arrows (MLR’s only Canadian outfit) partnered with Rugby ATL to play out of their facilities for the 2021 season. The friendship forged between these teams during this challenging season was celebrated with the Fire and Ice Cup, contested between Toronto and Atlanta each year.
Regular Season
Eastern Conference
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | PF | PA | +/- | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 420 | 321 | +99 | 9 | 4 | 57 |
| 2 |  | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 448 | 419 | +29 | 10 | 3 | 53 |
| 3 |  | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 375 | 378 | -3 | 7 | 2 | 51 |
| 4 |  | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 382 | 351 | +31 | 7 | 1 | 48 |
| 5 |  | 16 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 409 | 490 | -81 | 8 | 5 | 39 |
| 6 |  | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 411 | 412 | -1 | 5 | 5 | 30 |
Western Conference
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | PF | PA | +/- | Try Bonus | Losing Bonus | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 545 | 305 | +240 | 11 | 4 | 63 |
| 2 |  | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 506 | 464 | +42 | 13 | 4 | 57 |
| 3 |  | 16 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 389 | 317 | +72 | 7 | 4 | 47 |
| 4 |  | 16 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 430 | 464 | -34 | 9 | 5 | 38 |
| 5 |  | 16 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 343 | 461 | -118 | 4 | 6 | 26 |
| 6 |  | 16 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 274 | 550 | -276 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
PA = Points Against
+/- = Points Difference
Points
4 points for winning a match
2 points for drawing a match
0 points for losing a match
1 losing bonus point for losing by 7 points or fewer
1 try bonus point for scoring 4 tries or more
The 2021 MLR season saw a number of rule changes implemented with the aim of increasing the action and excitement of the games. These include the addition of a kick clock (60 seconds for penalty kicks, 90 for conversions) and the 50:22 rule (if a kick from within a player’s half bounces in play then finds touch in the opposing 22, the subsequent lineout is awarded to the kicking team), awarding a full 7pts if a try is scored directly under the posts (no conversion necessary), limiting scrum resets to 1 and changing the offside line at scrums for the scrum-halves, and implementing 20 minute red cards, after which the carded player may be replaced but not return themselves.
In their first season competing in Major League Rugby, the impressive Los Angeles Giltinis set a new record for the most standings points in an MLR season (63), surpassing the previous record of 61 set by the San Diego Legion in 2019. They also recorded the best points differential in MLR history to date, at +240. Along with the Utah Warriors, they were the first MLR teams to record 500+pts scored in a single season.
The historically dominant San Diego Legion and Seattle Seawolves finished in the lower middle of the Western Conference with negative records outside a playoff spot. This was a rare blip in their impressive history in MLR
At the bottom of the table, the Toronto Arrows faced more adversity than any other side during the 2021 season, not playing a single game at home in Toronto or even in Canada due to border restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. They finished with an admirable 5-11 record and an impressive points differential of -1. The Arrows did finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 30 points, but this would have placed them 4th in the West. The 2021 season saw every team pick up at least one victory, with the Houston SaberCats finishing with the worst record in MLR, 2-0-14.
Championship Series
The 2021 Championship Series followed the same structure as the 2019 Championship Series (a reminder that there was no Championship Series in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The top two teams in each conference qualified for the post-season and faced off for a spot in the Championship Final.
- 2021 – ECF: Rugby ATL v Rugby United New York
- 2021 – WCF: LA Giltinis v Utah Warriors
- 2021 – CF: LA Giltinis v Rugby ATL
Rugby ATL (#1) faced Rugby United New York (#2) in the Eastern Conference, with the RATLers squeaking the victory by a single point to advance to the final. In the Western Conference, the dominant LA Giltinis (#1) faced the Utah Warriors (#2) who didn’t make it easy for the new boys, but fell 17-13. LA would advance to host the Championship Final against Rugby ATL at the formidable Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
In the 2021 fight for the Shield, the LA Giltinis proved themselves the dominant force in MLR during the 2021 season. They dispatched Rugby ATL (a formidable side themselves who defeated LA during the regular season) 31-17 in front of their home fans to lift the shield in their debut season in Major League Rugby, a feat that has yet to be repeated.
All-MLR Teams
| Number | All-MLR First XV | All-MLR Second XV | Honorable Mention XV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chance Wenglewski (RUNY) | JP Smith (LA) | Jamie Mackintosh (AUS) |
| 2 | Sama Malolo (UTAH) | Dylan Fawsitt (RUNY) | Mikey Sosene-Feagai (OGDC) |
| 3 | Dino Waldren (NOLA) | Angus MacLellan (UTAH) | Charlie Abel (LA) |
| 4 | Nate Brakeley (RUNY) | Aston Fortuin (UTAH) | Rhyno Herbst (SEA) |
| 5 | Johan Momsen (ATL) | Dave Dennis (LA) | Nathan den Hoedt (LA) |
| 6 | Angus Cottrell (LA) | Tomy de la Vega (TOR) | Ben Bonasso (RUNY) |
| 7 | Lucas Rumball (TOR) | Joe Johnston (NE) | Bailey Wilson (UTAH) |
| 8 | Wian Conradie (NE) | Jason Damm (ATL) | Cam Dolan (NOLA) |
| 9 | Harrison Goddard (LA) | Andy Ellis (RUNY) | Michael Baska (UTAH) |
| 10 | Matt Giteau (LA) | Jason Robertson (OGDC) | Dan Hollinshead (RUNY) |
| 11 | DTH van der Merwe (LA) | Bjorn Basson (SDL) | Mika Kruse (UTAH) |
| 12 | Billy Meakes (LA) | Mark O’Keeffe (ATL) | JP du Plessis (NOLA) |
| 13 | Ben LeSage (NE) | Adam Ashley-Cooper (LA) | Bryce Campbell (AUS) |
| 14 | Julian Dominguez (NOLA) | Paula Balekana (HOU) | Jeremy Misailegalu (ATL) |
| 15 | Mikey Te’o (UTAH) | Ben Foden (RUNY) | Beaudein Waaka (NE) |
2021 Player Leaderboards & Accolades
Scoring Leaderboards – Top Points Scorers & Try Scorers
| Pos. | Player | Team | Points | Separator | Pos. | Player | Team | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Windsor | | 112 | 1 | Angus Cottrell | | 12 | |
| 2 | Dan Hollinshead | | 111 | 2 | Sama Malolo | | 11 | |
| 3 | Jason Robertson | | 108 | – | DTH van der Merwe | | 11 | |
| 4 | Beaudein Waaka | | 105 | 4 | Bjorn Basson | | 10 | |
| 5 | Tayler Adams | | 104 | 5 | Julián Domínguez | | 9 | |
| 6 | Matt Giteau | | 98 | – | Dylan Fawsitt | | 9 | |
| 7 | Mack Mason | | 96 | – | Dougie Fife | | 9 | |
| 8 | Hagen Schulte | | 87 | – | Harrison Goddard | | 9 | |
| 9 | Joe Pietersen | | 80 | – | Marko Janse van Rensburg | | 9 | |
| 10 | Carl Meyer | | 69 | – | John Ryberg | | 9 |
Utah’s Mikey Te’o also scored 9 tries in 2021, but as the table is sorted in alphabetical order by surname, he is not displayed.
Other Leaderboards – Tackling & Meters Gained
| Pos. | Player | Team | Tackles | Separator | Pos. | Player | Team | Meters Gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Rumball | | 228 | 1 | Mikey Te’o | | 1,518m | |
| 2 | Tomy de la Vega | | 222 | 2 | Paula Balekana | | 1,232m | |
| 3 | Wian Conradie | | 216 | 3 | Bjorn Basson | | 1,121m | |
| 4 | Johan Momsen | | 201 | 4 | Renata Roberts-Te Nana | | 1,094m | |
| 5 | Jurie van Vuuren | | 199 | 5 | Bautista Ezcurra | | 1,076m | |
| 6 | Will Leonard | | 198 | 6 | Ross Neal | | 974m | |
| 7 | Joe Johnston | | 195 | 7 | Julián Domínguez | | 972m | |
| 8 | Matt Heaton | | 184 | 8 | Dougie Fife | | 949m | |
| – | Jackson Thiebes | | 184 | 9 | DTH van der Merwe | | 931m | |
| 10 | Calvin Whiting | | 183 | 10 | Billy Meakes | | 913m |
End of Season Awards
| Award | Recipient | Team |
|---|---|---|
| MLR Player of the Year | Mikey Te’o | |
| MLR Forward of the Year | Johan Momsen | |
| MLR Back of the Year | Billy Meakes | |
| MLR Rookie of the Year | Andrew Guerra | |
| MLR Coach of the Year | Shawn Pittman | |
| Top Points Scorer | Sam Windsor | |
| Top Try Scorer | Angus Cottrell | |
| Top Tackler | Lucas Rumball | |
| Top Meter Eater | Mikey Te’o | |
2021 was the first season in which the MLR Rookie of the Year was awarded, with the first MLR Collegiate Draft held in the 2020/21 offseason.