Rams to travel to Melbourne for season-opening game against 49ers on Friday
Los Angeles Rams will depart Tuesday night for Melbourne, arriving Thursday morning for a Friday 10:35 a.m. local kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers, giving the team roughly one day to adjust to the time difference.
The Los Angeles Rams are scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Melbourne on Tuesday night, arriving in Australia on Thursday morning, about 24 hours before their season-opening matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Friday at 10:35 a.m. local time. Head coach Sean McVay said the team will travel on a flight that includes lie-flat seats for all players, aiming to mitigate jet-lag effects caused by the 16-hour flight and 17-hour time difference.
The 49ers have been in Melbourne for nearly a week, holding practices there while the Rams will have only a single day to rest and acclimate. McVay referenced the Rams' previous experience with an international game in London, noting that the team successfully managed travel logistics for that contest.
The NFL’s schedule places two high-profile teams in an overseas opening game, a decision that has drawn commentary about the league’s international expansion strategy.