A deal has been officially struck for Perth to have its own NRL team, which will also honour the heritage of the North Sydney Bears.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and Western Australian Premier Roger Cook are scheduled to officially announce the new team in Perth on Thursday.
“We’ve secured a new WA NRL club for Western Australia!” Cook said in a statement on Wednesday night.
“This is a great day for sports fans and a great day for the WA economy. Because of our strong negotiating position, the new WA-based NRL side will be chaired by a Western Australian and controlled by members, rather than a private company.
“The ARLC has accepted our position that the club should not be charged a license fee and that every dollar in direct financial assistance provided by the WA Government be spent in WA.
“From the beginning, we’ve said any deal would have to represent value for WA taxpayers and that is what we have delivered, with Acil Allen modelling indicating a significant return on investment to our economy.
“A new WA NRL club will deliver jobs and new economic activity, including a boost in tourism and visitation as the WA brand is exposed to millions across Australia and overseas.”
Here are the key details about the new franchise.
What will the governance structure of the new club be?
The WA NRL Club will be a membership-based, not-for-profit organisation with a board that includes three Western Australians, one of whom will be chair. For the first five years, the club’s sole voting member will be the Australian Rugby League Commission, with control transitioning to grassroots members upon the achievement of on-field and off-field performance milestones.
The North Sydney Bears will return to the NRL via Perth.Credit: Steven Siewert
How long will the initial license be for?
The ARLC will provide the club with an initial license of five years, to compete in the NRL premiership competition for the first time in 2027 or 2028.
Who will be responsible for the club’s financial performance?
The ARLC will cover the costs associated with running the club for the period of its initial license and ensure its financial viability.
WA Premier Roger Cook.Credit: Trevor Collens
How much financial support is the WA Government providing?
The WA Government will provide $60 million in direct financial assistance over seven years to help get the club off the ground, with $35 million ring-fenced for development, including grassroots. This funding will commence in the 2025/26 financial year.
The WA Government will provide an additional $5.6 million in match-day support and marketing support through Tourism WA, where it delivers a positive return to WA taxpayers.
Will any of this funding be provided to the ARLC or NRL?
Not one dollar of WA Government financial assistance will go to the ARLC or NRL. The financial assistance will be provided directly to the WA NRL club. Every dollar of the financial assistance provided will be spent in Western Australia.
Will the NRL charge the club a license fee?
No. The Perth club will not be charged for participating in the NRL premiership competition.
Will the WA Government have oversight on how the financial assistance is spent?
The WA NRL club will provide a report to the WA Government each year, detailing how the financial assistance provided has been spent in Western Australia.
Has the WA Government carried out any modelling to support this expenditure?
Last year, the ARLC provided modelling that suggested a WA NRL club would deliver $52.2 million in economic benefits annually, once the team was competing in the NRL premiership.
This year, the department of treasury engaged consultancy firm Acil Allen to review the ARLC modelling. Taking a conservative approach, Acil Allen estimated that a WA NRL club would deliver $28 million in economic benefits annually, once competing. Based on these two sets of modelling, the financial support provided to the club will deliver a positive return to WA taxpayers.
The economic benefits include new jobs, as well as tourism visitation and branding benefits, as the game is broadcast around Australia and internationally.
Is there any other support the WA Government will provide?
The development of rugby league in WA will benefit from the WA Government’s pre-existing commitments to nearly 500 community sporting organisations, including for rectangular field sports. This will include fast-tracking the $20 million election commitment for a high-performance centre at Malaga, which the WA NRL club will share with rugby union.
The WA Government will also work with the Club and ARLC to grow junior participation in the game, including expanding formal touch, tag and tackle rugby league programs in Western Australia’s public schools.
Has the WA Government committed to upgrades at HBF Park?
HBF Park has recently benefited from a number of WA Government funded upgrades, but no further investment has been committed to as part of this agreement.
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