Leslie Massey
Rugby league is a popular sport in Australia, with a large fan base and a significant media presence. It has been played in the country since 1908 and is considered the second most popular football code in the nation after Australian rules football. While rugby league is played at the amateur level in Western Australia by 31 clubs across 5 regional leagues, with a total of around 7,900 players, the state has historically lacked a professional rugby league team. However, in April 2025, the National Rugby League (NRL) agreed to a deal with the Western Australian government to introduce the Perth Bears as a professional rugby league team in 2027.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of rugby league clubs in Western Australia | 31 amateur clubs across 5 regional leagues |
| Number of rugby league players in Western Australia | 7,900 |
| Number of clubs in the Pilbara Rugby League | 7 |
| Number of clubs in the Perth metropolitan competition | 11 |
| Number of participants in the Perth metropolitan competition | 4,000 |
| Number of divisions in the senior competition | 4 |
| Number of teams from Western Australia in the National Rugby League (NRL) | 1 (from 2027) |
| Number of teams from Western Australia in the Affiliated States Championship | 1 |
| Number of wins in the Affiliated States Championship | Most titles of any state or territory |
| Popularity of rugby league in Western Australia compared to other states | Lower participation due to competition with Australian rules football, soccer, and basketball |
| Popularity of rugby league in Western Australia compared to rugby union | More popular than rugby union |
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What You'll Learn
- Rugby league in Western Australia has a strong following, with 7,900 amateur players
- The Western Reds were WA's first rugby league team, playing in 1995 and 1996
- The Perth Bears will be WA's first professional rugby league team since 1997
- The Pilbara Rugby League is a seven-club competition in the northwest of WA
- Rugby union was introduced to WA in the late 1860s and was the most popular football code until 1885
Rugby league in Western Australia has a strong following, with 7,900 amateur players
Rugby league is a popular sport in Australia, with a large fan base and a significant media presence. It is the second most popular football code in the country, after Australian rules football. While rugby league is played mainly in Queensland and New South Wales, it has a strong following in Western Australia, with a dedicated community of players and fans.
Western Australia has a thriving amateur rugby league scene, with around 7,900 players across 31 clubs and 5 regional leagues. The Pilbara Rugby League, for example, is a seven-club competition in the northwest of the state. The Western Australia Rugby League (WARL), formed in 1948, administers the sport in the region. WARL also forms a state team to compete in the annual Affiliated States Championship, which Western Australia has won multiple times.
Western Australia's first rugby league team to compete nationally were the Western Reds, who played in the 1995 and 1996 seasons. They changed their name to the Perth Reds in 1997 and joined the Super League. However, financial issues and the aftermath of the Super League war led to their demise at the end of that season. Since then, efforts have been made to re-establish a Perth-based team in the National Rugby League (NRL).
In April 2025, the NRL agreed to a deal with the Western Australian government, securing the return of a Perth team to top-flight rugby league after a 30-year absence. The team was named the Perth Bears, and they are set to join the NRL in 2027. This agreement represents a significant step forward in the development of rugby league in Western Australia, providing an opportunity to build on the strong foundation of amateur players and passionate supporters in the region.
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The Western Reds were WA's first rugby league team, playing in 1995 and 1996
Rugby league is played at an amateur level in Western Australia, with 31 clubs spread across 5 regional leagues and around 7,900 players in total. The Western Reds were Western Australia's first rugby league team to play in a national competition. They played in the 1995 and 1996 seasons of the Australian Rugby League. In 1992, the Western Reds club was accepted into the national competition, and they played their first season in 1995.
In 1997, the Western Reds changed their name to the Perth Reds and joined the Super League as inaugural members. However, they were not invited to join the National Rugby League in 1998 as part of the agreement to end the Super League war. The Western Reds were shut down at the end of 1997 due to a $10 million debt and issues related to the Super League war and the formation of the National Rugby League.
Rugby league continued to be played in Western Australia after the demise of the Western Reds, with NRL matches being staged and a new team, the WA Reds, being formed in 2007 to compete in the Jim Beam Cup. In 2025, the NRL agreed to a deal with the Western Australian Government to secure the return of a Perth-based team to top-flight rugby league, with the Perth Bears set to join the NRL in 2027.
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The Perth Bears will be WA's first professional rugby league team since 1997
Rugby league is a popular sport in Western Australia, with around 7,900 players across 31 amateur clubs and five regional leagues. The state has a strong rugby team that has won most of the Affiliated States Championships. However, the last professional rugby league team in Western Australia was the Western Reds, which exited the National Rugby League (NRL) in 1997.
The Perth Bears will be Western Australia's first professional rugby league team since the Western Reds' departure in 1997. The Bears are set to join the NRL in 2027 as the competition's 18th team, marking the return of professional rugby league to the state after three decades. The addition of Perth to the NRL will bring renewed credibility to the "National" in the league's name, as it will now have franchises in all of Australia's largest cities.
The Perth Bears are expected to make their NRL debut in 2027, with rugby league immortal Mal Meninga at the helm as their inaugural coach. Meninga has agreed to coach the team for at least the 2027 and 2028 seasons, focusing on building the club and roster from the ground up. The team's primary colours will be the traditional red and black of North Sydney, with white as a secondary colour. The Bears' logo is also expected to be redesigned to suit NRL competition requirements and fully integrate the team's colour scheme.
The Perth Bears' entry into the NRL was secured through a $50 million deal between the NRL and the Western Australian Government in April 2025. The agreement includes a commitment from the WA government to invest a total of $85.6 million in grassroots rugby league, content, the new team, and a Centre of Excellence. The Perth Bears will call HBF Park home, with most of their home games expected to be played at this stadium.
The North Sydney Bears, a foundation club of the NRL, will act as a feeder team to the Perth Bears. This partnership combines the heritage of the North Sydney Bears with the energy of the west, and it is expected to be a successful collaboration. The Perth Bears will also have a broad supporter base, as Western Australians are known for their love of sports, and the team will capture the hearts and minds of fans across the country.
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The Pilbara Rugby League is a seven-club competition in the northwest of WA
Rugby league is played at an amateur level in Western Australia by 31 clubs across 5 regional leagues, with around 7,900 players in total. The state will gain a professional club in a national competition from 2027 with the entry of the Perth Bears.
The Pilbara Rugby League is a seven-club competition in the northwest of Western Australia. The WARL (Western Australia Rugby League) also forms a state team to compete in the Affiliated States Championship each year. Western Australia is considered to have the strongest state team of the three non-rugby league states in mainland Australia and has won most of the Affiliated States Championships.
The NRLWA administers all forms of the game in Western Australia and runs the main Perth metropolitan competitions. This includes eleven clubs in the Perth metropolitan competition (seven fielding first grade), sponsored as the Fuel to Go and Play Premiership. There are over 4,000 participants. The majority of the eleven clubs originate in the Perth metropolitan area, and both Fremantle and South Perth are foundation WARL clubs.
The Western Australia Rugby League was formed in 1948 with Fremantle, Perth, South Perth, and Cottesloe as the foundation clubs. In 1950, the Australian Rugby League Board of Control sent ex-Kangaroos hooker Arthur Folwell to Western Australia to promote the game.
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Rugby union was introduced to WA in the late 1860s and was the most popular football code until 1885
Rugby union was introduced to Western Australia in the late 1860s to early 1870s, with rugby historian Sean Fagan citing a match played in 1868 in Fremantle. It was the most popular football code in the state until 1885 when it was overtaken by Australian rules.
Rugby union in Western Australia thrived in the initial years, with the game being centred in metropolitan Perth and Fremantle. However, the popularity of the sport slowly declined, with only sporadic competitions. Rugby union faced competition from Australian Football, which gained popularity in Western Australian schools, leading to a decline in junior players for rugby union.
In the 1890s, rugby union in Western Australia experienced a revival, with the formation of new clubs and the establishment of the Western Australian Rugby Union in 1893. A four-team competition commenced in 1895, including clubs from Fremantle, Swans, and Midland Junction. Despite this revival, rugby union continued to face strong competition from other sports and struggled to regain its dominance in the state.
Rugby union in Western Australia went through periods of fluctuation in the early 1900s, with a decline between 1905 and 1927, followed by a revival in the late 1920s and throughout the rest of the century. The sport experienced a significant revival in the 2000s, aided by international migration, and has since grown in participation and popularity.
While rugby union in Western Australia has had its challenges and competitions from other sports, it has a long history in the state, dating back to the late 1860s. The sport has gone through periods of popularity and decline but has ultimately established itself as a significant sport in Western Australia, with a dedicated governing body, a strong following, and a rich rugby culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, rugby league is popular in Western Australia, with around 7,900 players across 31 amateur clubs.
Rugby league is more popular in Western Australia. However, rugby union is the most popular code of rugby worldwide.
The Fuel to Go and Play Premiership is the premier rugby league competition in Western Australia.
The Western Australian Rugby League was formed in 1948. The first interstate match was played against South Australia in 1948, with WA winning the series 2-0. In 1995, the Western Reds became the first rugby league team from Western Australia to play in a national competition.
In 2025, the NRL agreed to a deal with the Western Australian Government to include a Perth-based team in the national competition from 2027. This will be the first Perth-based top-flight rugby league team in 30 years.
