ROUND ROCK, Texas (April 12, 2018)—The population of the Sports Capital of Texas is growing by one professional sports team! Austin Elite Rugby, in conjunction with the City of Round Rock, today announced at a press conference that all of its 2018 Major League Rugby (MLR) home games will be played at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.
Located within Old Settlers Park at 2001 N. Kenney Fort Blvd., the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex is a $27 million state-of-the-art sports venue that enables Round Rock to host many new types of events, such as rugby, lacrosse, soccer, ultimate frisbee, flag football and more. The 60-acre sports complex features a World Rugby regulation championship grass field, another championship field with synthetic turf, four multipurpose fields with natural grass and four with synthetic turf, and Musco sports lighting on all 10 fields. Spectator amenities include permanent seating with shade structures, a clubhouse, plazas, pavilions, playgrounds and more.
“We are excited to kick off our inaugural Major League Rugby season at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex,” Austin Elite Rugby President/Owner Richard Osborn said. “The City of Round Rock has been incredible to work with thus far. With Round Rock’s growing community of rugby clubs and fans, we look forward to entertaining the region with world-class play, and attracting new fans in the process.”
The four-game home season kicks off Saturday, May 3 against NOLA Gold. This season also includes matches against the San Diego Legion May 25, Utah Warriors June 1 and the Seattle Seawolves June 8. All games will be broadcast live on CBS Sports, AT&T or ESPN+.
“We want to officially welcome all of the professional rugby players, their families and fans to Round Rock for the inaugural 2018 season,” Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan said. “The Austin Elite Rugby games will provide yet another family-friendly entertainment option for Central Texas residents, who have helped make Round Rock the Sports Capital of Texas through their love of sports.”
Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the U.S., with more than 40 million fans nationwide. Texas is home to two MLR teams and nine collegiate teams, five of those in the Austin area. Two international rugby matches were played in Round Rock as part of the America’s Rugby Championship (2016 and 2017,) playing host to the USA Eagles national team.
“We are excited to see professional rugby being played in the Sports Capital of Texas, and we look forward to broadcasting the inaugural Major League Rugby season from Round Rock Multipurpose Complex,” commented MLR Commissioner Dean Howes.
Single-game tickets and season tickets are now available online at AustinEliteRugby.com, along with the complete 2018 schedule and official team merchandise.
Austin Elite Rugby
Austin Elite Rugby is a professional rugby team based in Austin, Texas, and we are excited to bring professional rugby to Central Texas. As a proud member of Major League Rugby, Austin Elite Rugby embodies the sport’s inclusive ethos. Developing players from youth to professional is at the heart of Austin Elite Rugby, creating a world-class experience for players and fans to enjoy the game.
Facebook: facebook.com/austineliterugby
Twitter: @Austin_E_Rugby
Instagram: @austineliterugby
YouTube: Austin Elite Rugby
Website: www.austineliterugby.com
#wearerugby #austineliterugby #MLR2018
Major League Rugby
MLR is an initiative driven by existing USA Rugby member teams in partnership with private investors who believe that American rugby can thrive at the highest levels: as a commercial enterprise; as an influential player on the international scene; and as a participation sport at the youth and senior level.
Facebook: facebook.com/usmlr
Twitter: @usmlr
Instagram: @usmlr
Website: www.usmlr.com
Round Rock Multipurpose Complex
Located within Old Settlers Park, the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex is a $27 million state-of-the-art sports venue that enables Round Rock to host many new types of events, such as lacrosse, soccer, rugby, ultimate frisbee, flag football and more. The 60-acre sports complex features a championship field with natural grass, another championship field with synthetic turf, four multipurpose fields with natural grass and four with synthetic turf, and Musco sports lighting on all 10 fields. Spectator amenities include permanent seating with shade structures for 250 people on each of the championship fields, plus options to add portable seating. The complex also has more than 900 parking spaces, and a clubhouse with meeting rooms overlooking the fields. Additional amenities for families include plazas, pavilions, playgrounds and more.
Facebook: facebook.com/RoundRockMPC
Twitter: @RoundRockMPC
Instagram: @RoundRockMPC
Website: www.RoundRockMPC.com
Sports Tourism in Round Rock
The Round Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, a division of the City of Round Rock Sports Management and Tourism Department, is dedicated to bringing revenue to the great city of Round Rock. Using hotel occupancy taxes, (funds paid by visitors who stay in our hotels,) the Round Rock CVB promotes Round Rock as The Sports Capital of Texas for youth, amateur and recreational sports to tournament and meeting planners across the nation. A central location in Texas, unique shopping opportunities and an abundance of tournament-ready fields, courts and courses are helping Round Rock quickly become the top choice for planners when selecting a location for their next big event. For the members of our community, hosting more events means hosting more visitors—and more visitors means more profits for local businesses, plus lowered property taxes for Round Rock citizens, for which we can all be big fans. Here’s to Round Rock: a great place to live and a great place to play. Game on!
Facebook: facebook.com/SportsCapitalofTexas
Twitter: @SportsCapitalOfTexas
Instagram: @SportsCapitalOfTexas
Website: goroundrock.com