Perth’s prospective new National Rugby League (NRL) team will need to get their claws stuck into training soon, with news they are expected to return to the league in 2027.
The team will revive the North Sydney Bears, one of the NRL’s foundation clubs formed in 1903, through a new partnership with Western Australia. The Bears lost their NRL licence in 1999 but have long campaigned for a return to the top level of the sport.
The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), the peak governing body for the sport, has reportedly given the green light to a $50 million offer from the West Australian (WA) government to bring the rebranded Perth Bears on board.
Premier Roger Cook’s government had earlier offered $35 million but increased the amount to get the proposal over the line.
Bears stalwart and board member Billy Moore has backed the push for a return to the NRL, saying that news of the comeback was the best thing for the club since winning their second premiership in 1922.
Formed in 1908, the North Sydney Bears were one of the earliest clubs in the Sydney-based Rugby League competition that eventually became the NRL.
For the most recent NRL bid, the Bears partnered with a WA consortium to form the new Perth-based incarnation.
“There is nothing else that comes close to this moment,” Moore said.
“This is a day for the true believers, just outstanding.”
The agreement for the Perth Bears to get on board still needs to be signed off by the 17 existing NRL teams and the Rugby League Players’ Association.
A Papua New Guinea side is also set to enter the NRL a year later, as part of a $600 million plan funded by the Australian government.
There is also room for one more, with the league hoping to amass a set of 20 teams.
During the 2024 season, the NRL reported a record revenue of $744.9 million, up $43.7 million from the previous year.
A Perth-based team is expected to provide a significant economic boost to the state.
