The Rhein Fire were an American Football team from Dusseldorf, Germany that competed for 13 seasons in the NFL-sponsored World League / NFL Europe between 1995 and that league’s demise in 2007. The Fire appeared in five World Bowls, winning twice, and helped launch the NFL careers of overlooked players such as linebacker James Harrison and running back Fred Jackson.
The London Monarchs were a franchise in the NFL’s World League developmental spring league during the 1990’s. The World League initially consisted of both North American and European Clubs when it debuted in 1991. The Monarchs won the first World Bowl that spring, defeating the Barcelona Dragons before 61,108 fans at Wembley Stadium. The original World League went dark in 1993 & 1994 before returning as a Europe-only circuit in 1995. The Monarchs of 1995-1998 failed to recapture the victories or the big crowds of the original World League days. The team moved unpredictably among a series of smaller soccer stadiums before disbanding for good in June 1998.
The Frankfurt Galaxy were the only team to compete in all 15 season of the World League of American Football / NFL Europe, the NFL’s on-again/off-again spring developmental league. The Galaxy also won more World Bowl championships – four – than any other team in the league’s history. Quarterback Jake Delhomme (Galaxy ’99) went on to start Super Bowl XXXVIII for the Carolina Panthers in 2005.
The Scottish Claymores were a franchise in the NFL’s Europe-based World League developmental league. (The league later changed its named to NFL Europe). Originally based at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, the Claymores began playing games at Glasgow’s Hampden Park in 1998. By the 2000’s the team shifted operations almost entirely to Glasgow. The Claymores hosted World Bowl ’96 at Murrayfield Stadium against the Frankfurt Galaxy. 38,982 fans showed up and watched the Claymores prevail 32-27 to claim their lone World Bowl title. The team ceased operations after 10 seasons in October 2004.
The Barcelona Dragons were a founding franchise in the NFL-backed World League of American Football in 1991. The WLAF sought to serve as both a developmental league for the NFL and a marketing mechanism to extend the NFL brand into European markets. In both 1991 and 1992, the Dragons played both European and American teams in a truly global league. After a two-year hiatus in 1993-1994, the Dragons and the WLAF returned as a Europe-only in 1995. During their 11 seasons of play, the Dragons would appear in four World Bowl title games and help to jumpstart the career of long-time NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.
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