The Gilgronis name refers to a new cocktail that the new ownership group plans to release soonaustin gilgronis
Austin's Major League Rugby franchise has been rebranded and relocated "for the second time this offseason" after being sold to Australia-based Loyals LLC, according to Chris Bils of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATEMAN. The team will be called the Austin Gilgronis and will play its home games this season at Bold Stadium within Circuit of the Americas. The franchise had been renamed the Austin Herd after competing in MLR's first two seasons as Austin Elite Rugby. The Gilgronis name refers to a "new cocktail -- think negroni -- that the same investment group ... plans to release soon." The new ownership group, which acquired the team from previous owner Richard Osborn, "has designs on updating the amenities" at Bold Stadium and has "agreed to fund any necessary expansion should crowds outgrow the current 5,036-seat capacity." The club was a "charter member of MLR" when the league debuted in '18, and moved from Round Rock Multipurpose Center to Dell Diamond "for the majority of its matches" in '19. The team went 0-16 last year and averaged less than 1,000 fans per game. The Gilgronis will begin the '20 season on Feb. 9 (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 1/30).
