‘Back where they belong’: Bears announce plans to rejoin NRL

The Bears are one step closer to rejoining the NRL. North Sydney Bears and Western Australia have announced concrete plans to bring the “Western Bears” to the NRL as the league’s 18th club. The organisations laid out their bold plan in a statement released on Wednesday.  

Bears announce plans for NRL return 

North Sydney Bears and the Western Australian Government finalised their plans to return to the NRL last week. The joint venture submitted their final proposal to the league office last Wednesday.  
 
North Sydney and Western Australia have now revealed that their submission was successful.  
 
In a statement released on Wednesday, North Sydney and Western Australia announced that the “Western Bears” will be the 18th NRL club.  
 
“The Western Australian Government, with the WA NRL Bid consortium (WANRL Co) and the North Sydney Bears, are proud to announce a historic partnership that will see the “Bears” return to the National Rugby League competition through the establishment of The Western Bears,” the statement said.  
 
“The Western Bears Club will make the NRL a truly national competition, returning top-flight rugby league to Perth and drawing on the heritage of the North Sydney Bears, which dates to 1908… 
 
“The Western Bears will be a powerhouse on and off the field in the NRL. The Club intends to run a professional and financially sustainable NRL Club and grow men's and women’s professional pathways and participation at the grassroots level in Western Australia and in the North Sydney catchment.” 
 
The statement also explained that the North Sydney Bears will continue to exist. The historic club will serve as a feeder club for the Western Bears.  

Stadium plans announced 

Another interesting detail of the North Sydney-WA statement is where the venture says the Western Bears will play their home matches.  
 
“If the Western Bears bid is successful, Perth-based home games will be played at HBF Park,” the statement revealed.  
 
However, the statement also said that a regular season home game will be played in Sydney each year as a “part of a heritage round.”  
 
“This Sydney-based home game will be part of a heritage round with a potential fixture against old rivals the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. It is also proposed that a Western Bears pre-season game be played on the East Coast,” the statement explained.  

Before Bears’ fans get too excited, it’s worth remembering that the NRL have not officially approved the club’s licence. No details have been revealed by North Sydney or Western Australia about when the club actually will make their debut in the NRL.