INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams president Kevin Demoff wants to make something clear about the team’s relationship with Australia: A disappointing season opener and a frustrated head coach have not changed the organization’s commitment to the country.
In an exclusive interview with The Sporting Tribune, Demoff pushed back against the interpretation that Sean McVay’s comments following the Rams’ loss in Melbourne signaled a desire by the franchise to turn its back on Australia. He said McVay’s frustration reflected the way his team played, while the organization continues to value a relationship it has spent years building.
“I think you’re going to hear his frustration, which is frustration about the way we played, not frustration about international games, not frustration about Australia,” Demoff said. “It’s literally frustration about Week 1.”
The Rams lost 27-7 to the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first NFL regular-season game played in Australia. Their travel approach also drew scrutiny as the Rams arrived roughly 24 hours before the game, while San Francisco spent the preceding week in Australia.
McVay added to the conversation during his Sept. 17 news conference when he said, “We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope.” He also praised the atmosphere and anticipated that his remarks would be taken out of context.
Demoff said that qualification was important. In his view, McVay was trying to move beyond a poor performance and focus on the rest of the season, rather than deliver a broader message about the Rams’ international future.
“The 2026 Rams will not play another game in Australia. He wants to put that behind him,” Demoff said. “He talked about the great atmosphere. And then he said, this is literally going to be taken out of context.”
Demoff described the reaction as a product of a “headline clickbait world” and disputed the conclusion that the Rams no longer want to return. He said anyone expecting McVay to enthusiastically discuss the trip immediately after one of the team’s worst performances in recent memory was overlooking how the coach processes losing.
“It’s a great experience and there was a lot of positives. But that 60 minutes that day was not our best day,” Demoff said. “And I would expect nothing less from Sean in terms of his frustration.”
For Demoff, evaluating the trip requires looking beyond the game itself. He pointed to the Rams’ events along Melbourne’s riverfront, the presence of mascot Rampage and the team’s cheerleaders for multiple weeks, and the work that went into the game-day experience as evidence of an organizational investment that extended well beyond the players’ time in the country.
“I think the trip was amazing,” Demoff said, citing those activities and the atmosphere McVay himself had acknowledged. He also pointed to the players who have visited Australia through the organization’s efforts, saying their experiences tell a different story from the reaction to the season opener.
“I think Sean is one of the best brand ambassadors we have,” Demoff said. “But I think if you ask our 15 players who have been to Australia on visits ... I think they would tell you that they love Australia.”
Still, Demoff acknowledged that the organization has things to examine about the trip. The Rams’ limited time on the ground became part of the discussion surrounding their performance, and he recognized that the team could have done more with its opportunity that week.
“I think much was made of the storyline of the team not being there, which is very different than the organization not being there,” Demoff said. “And I understand we missed an opportunity to play our best, to be engaged that week, and that’s something that we’ll grapple with as an organization.”
That acknowledgment leaves room for the Rams to reassess how they approach a future visit without abandoning the relationship. Demoff said the organization remains active in Australia outside of games and spoke positively about the connection it has developed there. He did not announce a date for another game but there are other activations in the works and the Rams will continue to run commercials promoting their fan club in Australia and New Zealand.
Demoff also made clear that the Rams value playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and enjoy opportunities to participate in international games as the visiting team. Those preferences, he said, coexist with the franchise’s interest in Australia.
“There’s a great synergy with Australia and the Rams,” Demoff said. “We’ve seen that over the course of time.”
For now, his message is that the season opener should prompt reflection about the football and the team’s approach to the week, without being treated as a verdict on the country or the people who welcomed the Rams.
“I think it’s unfair to take Sean’s comments and extrapolate them beyond what happened in those 60 minutes,” Demoff said.