It’s official: Perth will have an NRL team.
The Western Australian Government signed off on the deal yesterday, after 18 months of negotiations with the Australian Rugby League Commission.
The announcement
WA Premier Roger Cook announced on social media yesterday that the state government will spend $65 million over the next seven years to establish the team.
The team is expected to enter the competition in either 2027 or 2028.
It has been reported the team will be called the Perth Bears, carrying on the franchise name of the North Sydney Bears, which left the top rung of the league in 1999.
Cook said: “Not only will this be welcome news for sports fans, it'll also be great for our economy and local jobs.”
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The club will be owned by the NRL and will be a membership-based not-for-profit. Stipulations of the agreement include a guarantee that the chairman of the club will be a Western Australian.
Western Australia and rugby league
This is not the first time that professional rugby league has attempted to secure a foothold on the West Coast, with the Western/Perth Reds playing from 1995 to 1997.
The addition of a Perth team is set to give the NRL some leverage as it negotiates for a new broadcast deal at the end of 2027. The extra team and the time difference on the West Coast mean there will be additional games televised and alternative scheduling opportunities.
19 NRL teams
In December, it was announced that a team based in Papua New Guinea would be joining the league in 2028. The Australian government is set to contribute $600 million over ten years in support of a PNG club.
