Australia's Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to write a historic chapter in the NFL.
Next season, the Los Angeles Rams will renew their rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers for the NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Australia. The matchup will take place on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 5:35 p.m. PT at the MCG. The 17-hour time difference means the 49ers will take the field on Friday at 10:35 a.m. (AEST) in Melbourne.
NFL Australia & New Zealand General Manager Charlotte Offord confirmed the matchup, noting an incredible football experience awaits Australian fans.
“As we continue our preparations for the NFL’s first-ever regular season game at the MCG in Melbourne, we are delighted that the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Los Angeles Rams,” Offord said. “The 49ers are a popular franchise within the Australian market, and this rivalry game solidifies what we know is going to be an incredible NFL experience for our fans down under.”
MCG is one of the largest and most iconic cricket stadiums in the world. The venue has a capacity of over 100,000 spectators and is the go-to arena for the landmark sporting events in the nation.
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The 49ers, who are a popular franchise down there, are looking forward to this historic encounter as CEO AI Guido said:
“This is a terrific opportunity to continue to support the league in its mission to grow the game of football,” Guido said. “We look forward to working with the NFL to benefit local Australian communities through sport.”
Rams President Kevin Demoff has also shown excitement for the matchup.
“As we make history with the NFL and bring the first regular season game to Australia, we are pleased to take our annual match-up against our NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers to the MCG,” Demoff said. “Since we first secured marketing rights to the country in 2021 and more recently since the announcement of this game last year, we have seen tremendous excitement for our team from fans both in Australia and also across the world. We look forward to spending this offseason continuing to deepen our connection with the Melbourne community, leading up to the game this fall.”
The regular-season game at MCG is part of the NFL's nine international games scheduled for next season, the most in the history of the league.
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