It’s official: Perth joins the NRL frontier
Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti, National Rugby League CEO Andrew Abdo, WA Premier Roger Cook and Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V'landys pose for a photograph after a press conference about the forming of a new National Rugby League team the Perth Bears at HBF Park in Perth, Thursday, May 8, 2025. The NRL is officially expanding to Western Australia after the state government signed off on a $65.6 million deal to create the league's 18th team.
The deal is done! The NRL competition officially expands to 18 teams in 2027 with the addition of the Perth Bears, the NRL and the Western Australian government announced on Thursday.
The move to Perth marks the return of professional rugby league to Western Australia for the first time in three decades, since the Western Reds exited the competition in 1997.
Western Australia’s government has committed A$65.6 million (US$42.36 million) over seven years to support the new franchise.
Investment was a key factor in securing the new club and is part of a broader strategy to grow the sport nationwide.
“This is a great day for sports fans and a great day for the WA economy,” Western Australia Premier Roger Cook said.
“We’ve secured a new WA NRL club, and every dollar in direct financial assistance from the government will be spent right here in WA.”
The team’s name, the Perth Bears, pays tribute to the historic North Sydney Bears – a foundation club that was part of the inaugural Australian rugby league season in 1908.
North Sydney Bears played in the top tier until 1999 but became a casualty to the rugby league restructure post Super League war, while also facing their own financial struggles.
The club has continued to operate in the NSW Cup, and the NRL believes their loyal east coast supporter pool will set them apart from an independent start-up.
“As a foundation club, the Bears have a rich history in the game,” said Peter V’landys, chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).
“The heritage of the Bears combined with the energy of the west will have this team flying from the outset.”
V’landys called the agreement a “watershed moment” and emphasised the importance of establishing a strong NRL presence in Western Australia.
“Western Australians love sport, and now they have the opportunity to get behind a Perth-based rugby league club that will capture the hearts and minds of fans across the country,” he said.
The deal follows another major expansion initiative spearheaded by V’landys, who recently secured A$600 million in federal funding for a proposed NRL team in Papua New Guinea, expected to join the competition in 2028.
The last team to join the NRL was the Dolphins, based in Brisbane, who entered the league in 2022.
They have finished 13th and 10th in their first two seasons, laying the groundwork for how new clubs may fare in the current competitive environment.
With the addition of Perth, the NRL will now have franchises in all of Australia’s largest cities — Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth — bringing renewed credibility to the “National” in National Rugby League.
“So now let’s get behind our new NRL side as we put the ‘national’ in NRL,” Cook said.
This comes as speculation persists over who will coach the inaugural Perth Bears team, with British based coaches Brad Arthur and Sam Burgess being touted as potential front runners.
However, in a new development, former Queensland and Brisbane Broncos coach Kevin Walters revealed via Kayo on Wednesday that he is interested in coaching again.
With 18 months to field an entire franchise, the club will have to act fast – but without a club boss in place, any coaching announcements are not expected anytime soon.
