For the first time in decades, WA will have a new NRL team after $65 million in state government funding was announced by Premier Roger Cook.

Originally from north Sydney, the Bears exited the league in 1999 and are set for revival in WA in the 2027 season.

“As a foundation club, the Bears have a rich history in the game and automatically provide hundreds of thousands of East Coast supporters for the Perth based team. The heritage of the Bears combined with the energy of the West will have this team flying from the outset,” Australian Rugby League Commision chair Peter V’landys said in a statement earlier today.

It’s not just rugby league fans who are excited.

The news is welcomed by Curtin University Hockey Club president Adam Piggott who says WA’s professional sporting environment should be diversified.

“WA is so separated from the rest of Australia, I guess people can feel like they get a pretty raw deal when it comes to sports,” he says.

“You’ve got to do that stuff to hopefully inject tourism into WA, otherwise we’ll just have the major sporting code—AFL—and that’ll be about it.

“If it’s presented on a bigger stage and streamed, you can have a local team, and you have buy-in.”

Mr Cook says the introduction of a new team would boost the local economy and jobs in his post to Instagram on Wednesday this week.

The launch of the team has been criticised by some, with The West Australian devoting a front page to the subject. and another headline reading, “Under-fire pollster that failed to predict Labor victory also conducted study into viability of WA NRL team.”

Of note, The West Australian is owned by Seven West Media, who also own the broadcast rights for Australia’s other major football code, AFL.

Rugby Union teams are remaining tight-lipped on the matter with Tattarang, the owner of the Western Force rugby team, telling the Western Independent:

“As the owner of the Western Force, Tattarang is open to discussing partnership opportunities with both the Western Australian Government and the NRL.

“The establishment of a rugby league franchise in WA presents a unique opportunity to strengthen the state’s sporting landscape and support the growth of both codes at a professional and grassroots level.”