RENTON, Wash. and DÜSSELDORF, Germany – The NFL team of Seattle Seahawks and Rhein Fire of the European League of Football today announced a new partnership. As part of this collaboration, the two teams will now work together on a number of activities in Germany, including the Seahawks’ presence at Rhein Fire home games, as well as appearances by Rhein Fire players and cheerleaders at Seahawks events. The Seahawks and Rhein Fire will work together to activate and promote American football by making the sport accessible, including through Seahawks flag football camps and tournaments planned throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.
The new partnership is part of the Seahawks’ strategic efforts to expand the NFL franchise’s activities in Germany as part of the NFL’s Global Market Program. The Seahawks are the first NFL team to work directly with an ELF team as part of this program. Rhein Fire, based in Düsseldorf, won the European League of Football in 2023 and plays its home games in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena Duisburg, which has a capacity of 31,500 fans.
The Seahawks will be on site this weekend at the 2024 Championship Game at the VELTINS Arena Gelsenkirchen, where Rhein Fire will look to defend its title against the Austrian team Vienna Vikings after a convincing season with 13 wins and 1 loss.
“The Seahawks and Rhein Fire are both known for their passionate and loyal fans,” said Isabelle Van CoevordenSeattle Seahawks Director of International. “Our direct activation of American football in Germany is helping the sport to find more fans overall. We look forward to working with Rhein Fire to develop exciting and innovative programs for our mutual fans while reaching new target groups.”
“We are honored and excited to be working closely with the Seattle Seahawks, one of the most famous and successful teams in the NFL. This partnership will enable us to share valuable expertise in the areas of fan engagement, marketing and PR. Together we want to further advance the sport and create new, exciting platforms and experiences for the German football community,” says Max PaatzGeneral Manager Rhein Fire.
Also David Wallenco-owner of Rhein Fire, sees the new collaboration with the Seahawks as an important strategic step. “The Seahawks’ commitment to advancing the sport worldwide is perfectly aligned with our vision for American football in Germany. As part of the collaboration, we will support each other and learn from each other in order to strengthen our presence in the international football community in the long term.”
ABOUT RHINE FIRE
Rhein Fire is an American football team based in Düsseldorf, Germany, and part of the European League of Football (ELF).
The team was introduced on September 25, 2021 as one of the new franchises for the second season of the ELF and was able to take on the name of the former team in NFL Europe (1994 to 2007) due to an agreement between the ELF and the NFL in March 2020.
The team’s head coach is Jim Tomsula, who worked in the NFL between 2007 and 2020. During this time, Tomsula worked as HC for the San Francisco 49ers in 2015. In addition to him, the team’s coaching staff includes other long-time NFL and CFL coaches: John Shoop, Andrew Weidinger, Paul Dunn and Richard Kent.
In 2023, Rhein Fire won the ELF championship title undefeated. In 2024, Tomsula and his team, with a record of 12:1, will compete again in the ELF Championship Game against the Vienna Vikings on September 22, 2024. Rhein Fire plays its home games in the 31,500-seat Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena Duisburg.
The team and its fans represent a close connection with the Rhineland (Düsseldorf) and the Ruhr area (Duisburg), the most populous metropolitan region in Europe.
Düsseldorf, 19. September 2024
