Seahawks volunteer to face Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground for NFL's first Australia game

Cbssports reports the Seattle Seahawks have volunteered to face the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the NFL's first game in Australia, Seahawks director of international Isabelle Van Coevorden said in an interview with the Herald Sun in late October. The Rams will play the league's first-ever game in Australia next season, but the opponent has not been announced; Van Coevorden said "We would love to" and hinted the Seahawks have made a direct request to the NFL.

As the designated home team, the Rams' opponent must be one of nine teams scheduled to play them at home in 2026: the Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Giants, Packers, Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers and Bills. Sending another West Coast team would make logistical sense, the report noted: the flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne is almost 16 hours, while an East Coast team would face well over 20 hours of travel time.

The NFL has indicated the game would be in Week 1 and likely played early in the week so both teams have time to prepare for Week 2. Mike North, the league's vice president of broadcast planning, said, "I suspect it will probably be early in the week, more like a Thursday, maybe even a Wednesday.

Key Topics

Sports, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Isabelle Van Coevorden, Mike North