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Perth Bears back after 26 years: 18th NRL team locked in
SEN • May 7th, 2025 6:37 pm
It's official, the Perth Bears will become the 18th NRL franchise from 2027.
West Australian premier Roger Cook confirmed the news on Wednesday afternoon after agreeing to terms with the ARL commission in a deal worth $85 million.
“We’ve secured a new WA NRL club for Western Australia!” Cook said in a statement.
“This is a great day for sports fans and a great day for the WA economy.
“The ARLC has accepted our position that the club should not be charged a licence fee and that every dollar in direct financial assistance provided by the WA Government be spent in WA.
“I’d like to thank the ARLC for the robust negotiations we’ve undertaken, as both parties have sought to get the best deal for our stakeholders.
“Perth will now join Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne as cities that host both NRL and AFL sides, and I’d back us to compete just as hard at NRL as we do at AFL.
“So, now let’s get behind our new NRL side as we put the ‘national’ in NRL!”
A formal announcement is expected on Thursday.
It ends 26 years in the wilderness for the team which is set to be followed by a 19th franchise from PNG.
"Perth is a goldmine for the NRL," Peter V'landys told News Corp. "It gives us a national footprint to a degree, and the time zone works really well with our global and expansion strategies.
"There's a lot of people who support the Bears, and they have a ready-made supporter base.
"It's a perfect marriage if it happens with Perth."
