WA Premier Roger Cook has confirmed that an 18th NRL team will be based in Perth, marking a return of the Bears in 2027 after a 26-year exile.
An agreement between the WA government and the ARL Commission had been reached in principle last week, but an official unveiling of the new franchise is set to occur on Thursday in Perth.
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On Wednesday afternoon, Cook shared the exciting news via a statement and on social media that the two sides had come to an agreement on the funding for the Perth Bears.
“We’ve secured a new WA NRL club for Western Australia!” Cook said.
“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.”
In the video posted on social media, Cook provided a breakdown of the funding.
“My government will provide $60 million in direct financial support to the new club over seven years to secure this opportunity for Western Australia, and a further $5.6 million in match-day and marketing support over the same period,” he said.
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According to Code Sports, a further $20 million will also be put toward a Perth-based Centre of Excellence.
The Bears are expected to play their home games at HBF Park, which is due to receive an upgrade worth up to $200 million.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo hopped on a plane to Perth on Thursday ahead of the official announcement on Thursday.
V’landys told Code Sports during Magic Round that he has full confidence the Bears will be a success.
“The euphoria I have seen has been extraordinary,” he said.
“That’s one of the reasons why we wanted to bring the Bears back. There’s a lot of people who support the Bears and they have a ready-made supporter base. They have the pathways with their juniors and it’s a perfect marriage if it happens with Perth.
“It could be one of the real success stories of the future.”
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