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Steelers-Vikings Game in Ireland Will Be a Historic Event on Many Fronts
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- Steelers-Vikings Game in Ireland Will Be a Historic Event on Many Fronts
Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. -- Rob Hurson
The Steelers - Vikings game on Sept. 28 will be the first NFL regular season game ever played in Ireland . It will be a historic event on many fronts.
It will be the first time a game between two teams has been playing in three different countries. The last time the Steelers played an international game was, coincidentally, against the Vikings on Sept. 29, 2013 in London.
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The Vikings will play in Dublin against the Steelers in Week 4, before returning to London to face the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 5. They'll be the first team to play in two different countries outside the United States in back-to-back weeks. It will be their fifth trip to London, and third in four years. The Vikings are 4-0 in international regular season games.
Steelers president Art Rooney II had strongly advocated for a game in Ireland on multiple occasions.
"The opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in Ireland is truly special, not only because of the Rooney family history there but because it allows us to connect with Irish fans while also giving fans who travel from Pittsburgh and beyond a unique football experience," Rooney said in a press release. "We are thrilled to be part of this historic event and to represent Pittsburgh on a global stage."
Not only do the Steelers have marketing rights to the area, but the late Dan Rooney served as a U.S. Ambassador under President Barack Obama. He served in this position from 2009-2012.
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Dan Rooney also co-founded The Ireland Fund in 1976 to promote and support peace, culture, education, and community development throughout the island of Ireland and Irish-related causes around the world.
"I'm really excited about it, to be quite honest with you, because I just think about the late, great Ambassador [Daniel M.] Rooney, and how fired up he would be about it, and so it makes me smile when I think about it," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said at the NFL owner's meetings in March. "It's an honor to represent our game and our country over there, and I look forward to doing so."
Dan Rooney in Ireland. — Pittsburgh Steelers
Croke Park played host to a preseason game between the Steelers and Chicago Bears back in 1997. That was the only other time that the Steelers have played in Ireland.
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After a 28-year hiatus, the Steelers return to the Emerald Isle this fall. It's something that tight end Pat Freiermuth doesn't take for granted. Freirmuth saw firsthand how passionate the fans are in Ireland about the game of football during his trip to the country in April.
"It's definitely an honor that you're going to be the first team to play a regular season game there," Freiermuth said . "They love football in Ireland. They have an American Football League there. So, it's awesome to be able to bring our football culture to Ireland.
"When we were there, they had signs everywhere already for the game. They love it when we come over and play football there. I went to a rugby game there, and I can't imagine what it's going to be like for an NFL game. It's going to be loud. It's going to be crazy. And it'll be fun."
Alan Saunders and Jobe Morrison contributed reporting for this story
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers-Vikings Game in Ireland Will Be a Historic Event on Many Fronts
