Rugby Football Club Los Angeles reintroduces team to El Segundo community

Rugby Football Club Los Angeles introduced itself to residents at Campus El Segunda in El Segundo, where players described the sport, said the team relocated from Atlanta about 18 months ago, and invited local fans to attend matches.

The move back to El Segundo was discussed as part of the team’s effort to build local support. "This team had relocated from Atlanta, almost 18 months ago, and I wasn't involved in last year's program. But 1 of the things we wanted to do was to to move back to El Segundo," Speaker 4 said, adding that the club had previously had a "good experience" in the area and labeled the community "very, hardworking." Speaker 3 said the team uses nearby training facilities and has a headquarters "maybe 5 minutes across the road there."

Players described rugby's play style and why they hope it will attract fans in Los Angeles. "It's run forward, pass backwards. That's kind of the the main point to explain," Speaker 1 said, explaining differences from American football. Another player said the sport is "very free flowing play after play after play until there's a penalty or a stoppage from the ball" and noted growing interest ahead of the 2031 World Cup. Speaker 2 added, "This team here in LA, it's a mix of all of these different cultures and backgrounds and guys from various parts of the world," listing Australia, the U.K., New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji among players' origins.

Speakers provided details about the sport and player demands: front-row players were described as weighing "Almost 300 pounds for some of them" and covering several miles during a match. A scoring comparison was given: "we call a touchdown, a try in the sport of rugby. That's 5 points...the conversion is an additional 2," Speaker 2 said.

Organizers and players invited residents to attend games and noted a community focus. "We love El Segundo. It's such a great area...we have a HQ that's located maybe 5 minutes across the road there," Speaker 3 said. "We'd love anyone that lives in the LA, community or the El Segundo community to come watch our games," Speaker 3 added. The presentations included an open invitation for fans to meet players after matches and described the team culture as family-oriented.

No formal agreements, city actions, funding sources, or public-sector programs were discussed at the event. The remarks were presentation-style comments and community outreach rather than agenda items or formal decisions.