Los Angeles (AFP) - Marko Janse van Rensburg scored the opening try of the season as Rugby Atlanta routed Old Glory DC 55-22 on Saturday to launch Major League Rugby's fifth campaign.
The South African hooker, who led the MLR 2021 finalists with eight tries last year, helped power Atlanta to the highest single-match point total in its history with his 19th-minute try.
Atlanta reached last year's championship match only to lose to the Los Angeles Giltinis.
MLR is trying to establish a rugby union foothold in US and Canadian markets with hopes of a US hosting role for a future Rugby World Cup.
It was the debut for Argentine flyhalf Joaquin de la Vega Mendia with Atlanta, which had never managed more than 41 points in any prior match.
Duncan Van Schalkwyk, a South African scrumhalf, scored a try in the 66th minute to lift Atlanta above their prior record point total.
De la Vega Mendia finished off matters with a final try in the 72nd minute, his first with Atlanta.
The MLR began the campaign with 12 teams following the addition of the Dallas Jackals.Seattle won the first two MLR titles in 2018 and 2019 before the 2020 season was halted due to Covid-19.
