After more than two decades in hibernation, the Bears have awakened.
Today the Perth Bears step into the NRL for the 2027 season as the competition’s 18th club, and with pre-season training only weeks away, the long sleep is over.
It has been a remarkable 18 months. In May 2025, the Australian Rugby League Commission and the Western Australian Government reached a landmark agreement to base the NRL’s 18th franchise in Perth, reviving one of the game’s most storied names and bringing elite rugby league back to WA.
WATCH THE VIDEO: OUT OF HIBERNATION
Within weeks, Rugby League Immortal Mal Meninga was unveiled as foundation head coach, stepping down from the Kangaroos after eight seasons and two World Cup titles. Two-time premiership-winning assistant Ben Gardiner followed him from Penrith, and the club’s inaugural board was named soon after.
In December 2025, the Bears signed their first two players: halfback Toby Sexton and England Test centre Harry Newman.
New Balance was the first of a dozen Foundation sponsors, which now include Principal Partner Cash Converters, Premier Partner Budget Direct, Atlas, Corporate Traveller, Gage Roads, McDonald’s, Penrite Oil, XFM, Mahindra, Zoo Fit, IBM and Triple M.
The squad has kept growing since. Penrith prop Liam Henry chose Perth ahead of interest from rival clubs, Josh Curran became the first 100-game NRL player to commit, and Melbourne Storm premiership winners Tyran Wishart and Nick Meaney headed west. Australian international Gehamat Shibasaki, Corey Horsburgh and Scott Sorensen have added further class and experience.
Off the field, the club kept stirring. The logo was unveiled in January, the first merchandise range landed in April, and the Tracks Academy began building pathways for the next generation, with 15-year-old fullback Zane Murray becoming the first West Australian teenager to sign with the club in September.
The fans were wide awake too. Foundation memberships went on sale in May and passed 16,000 within days, well beyond the club’s target of 10,000 by the end of October. By the time sales closed in June, more than 20,500 supporters had signed up, around 85 per cent of them from Western Australia.
Then the Bears showed their colours. On 7 August, the inaugural home jersey was revealed at simultaneous events at the WACA Ground and Norths Cammeray, its red-and-black hoops honouring the original North Sydney jersey. That weekend, Meninga and mascot Kodi led the first Bear Walk at HBF Park, with supporters snapping up jerseys on both sides of the country.
Meninga said today marked the point where planning gives way to performance.
“This is the day we stop talking about the Perth Bears and start being the Perth Bears. The players have bought into what we are building, and I can’t wait to get them on the training paddock together for the first time,” he said.
There is plenty more to come as the Bears gear up for the first round of the NRL in 2027. Players and their families are now settling into life in Perth, finding homes, schools and their feet in a new city. The squad will be formally inducted into the club on 18 November before pre-season training begins on 23 November.
Interim CEO and General Manager of Football Gareth Holmes paid tribute to the supporters, partners and staff who have carried the club this far.
“Eighteen months ago, the Perth Bears were an idea. Today we have a coach, a squad, a jersey and fans in both Perth and North Sydney who have backed us from day one. Welcoming our players and their families to WA is the next step, and we want them to feel at home from the moment they arrive,” he said.
The hibernation is over. The Bears are back!
