Mat Rags was a Tatooine-based human who made a living as a podracer technician. In the year 32 BBY, they were present at the Grand Arena located in the Mos Espa spaceport during the famous Boonta Eve Classic race. Before the competition commenced, Rags performed maintenance on the pod belonging to a Vulptereen 327, while its owner, the racer Dud Bolt, remained seated in the cockpit. Once the crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure gave the signal to begin the race, Rags and the other mechanics quickly moved away from the starting grid. Ultimately, the enslaved human Anakin Skywalker emerged as the victor.
During the race, Rags was seen wearing a blue worksuit, complemented by a black utility tool vest, black gloves, brown boots, and a pointed brown cowl paired with goggles. They possessed blue eyes and a fair complexion.
Mat Rags made an appearance in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, the prequel trilogy film released in 1999. Within the current Star Wars canon, this character's identity was initially established in the 2017 reference book titled Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia. The name "Mat Rags" was originally part of the Star Wars Legends continuity, first appearing in the video game adaptation of The Phantom Menace released in 1999. In several shots throughout the Mos Espa scenes in the film, numerous characters can be seen wearing the same outfit as Rags; however, Rags can only be positively identified in a single shot based on the colors of his utility tool vest.