Perth Bears
The Perth Bears become the NRL's 18th club in 2027, bringing top-grade rugby league back to Western Australia and carrying the North Sydney Bears name and colours west.
The short version
Approved on 8 May 2025, entering the competition in 2027. Home games at HBF Park in Perth, red and black, coached by Mal Meninga. The club has been signing players through 2026 ahead of a round 1 debut.
Perth Bears club file
- Heartland
- Perth and Western Australia
- Colours
- Red and black
- Home ground
- HBF Park, Perth
- Entering the competition
- 2027
- Head coach
- Mal Meninga
- Official club site
- perthbears.com.au
How the Bears got a licence
A Perth bid had been circling the NRL for years, first as the Western Bears. The Australian Rugby League Commission approved a revised proposal on 8 May 2025 once terms were settled with the Western Australian Government, which committed $65.6 million in direct club and match-day support. The club formally joins the NRL on 1 November 2026, and plays its first match in round 1 of 2027. Toby Sexton and Harry Newman were the first players signed, in December 2025.
The North Sydney link
North Sydney were a foundation club of the 1908 premiership and last played top grade in 1999 before the Northern Eagles merger. They joined a Western Australian consortium on a bid in 2024, and in November 2025 became the Perth Bears' primary pathway partner. The new club took the Bears name and the red and black west, while North Sydney continue in their own right in the NSW Cup. The inaugural home jersey, unveiled in August 2026, is a modern take on red-and-black hoops that references North Sydney's original 1908 strip.
It is not a relocation. The Bears are a new Western Australian club that celebrates an old Sydney club's heritage alongside the history of rugby league in WA.
Rugby league in Western Australia
Perth has had a top-grade club before. The Western Reds joined in 1995 and played two seasons in the ARL, then spent 1997 in Super League as the Perth Reds before being shut down. The Bears are the first since, and the first WA side in an era where the competition can put a Perth game in a national broadcast window that no eastern-states fixture can fill.
Where the Bears play
Home games are at HBF Park, the rectangular ground in inner Perth that holds a little over 20,000 - a proper rugby league venue rather than an oval. Perth is two hours behind the eastern states in winter, which is the detail that matters most if you are following from Sydney or Brisbane: a Bears home game kicks off late in your evening.
Following the Bears in Six Again
Six Again covers the full NRL competition, so the Bears will be in the app from their first round in 2027 - the draw in your local time, the live ladder, and lock-screen live scores for eligible matches as a Live Activity on iPhone or a Live Update on Android 16 and later. There is nothing to add or set up.
Ready for round 1, 2027
Live NRL scores on your lock screen, the live ladder and the full draw - free to download, with no gambling ads anywhere.
Perth Bears FAQ
When do the Perth Bears enter the NRL?
The Perth Bears enter the NRL in 2027 as the competition's 18th club. The Australian Rugby League Commission approved the club on 8 May 2025.
Where do the Perth Bears play home games?
At HBF Park, the rectangular stadium in inner Perth, which holds a little over 20,000.
Who is the Perth Bears coach?
Mal Meninga is the inaugural head coach, appointed in June 2025.
Are the Perth Bears the same club as the North Sydney Bears?
No. The Perth Bears are a new club that carries the North Sydney name and the red and black. North Sydney were a foundation club in 1908 and last played top grade in 1999, and they became the Perth Bears' primary pathway partner in November 2025. The two clubs remain separate organisations.
What are the Perth Bears colours?
Red and black. The inaugural home jersey, unveiled in August 2026, is a modern take on red-and-black hoops referencing North Sydney's 1908 strip.
Has there been an NRL team in Perth before?
Yes. The Western Reds played out of Perth from 1995 and left the competition after 1997. The Bears are the first top-grade club in Western Australia since.