Perth Bears ‘overwhelmed’ by membership response
On Wednesday, rugby league fans, particularly in Western Australia and New South Wales, desperate to join the National Rugby League’s newest expansion club, the Perth Bears, finally got the opportunity to secure one of two basic membership packages.
Fans can purchase the $79 foundation membership package, which includes merchandise, club offers and early priority access to 2027 game-based memberships, or the $3,000 premium foundation member “Club 2027 membership” package, which includes an exclusive made-to-order varsity jacket and limited-edition medallion, along with early priority access to ensure game-based membership.
As the Bears, a marriage of equals between WA and the North Sydney Bears, begin final preparations ahead of their NRL entry from next season, equipment is in feverish refurbishment across the country, and so is demand.
According to Mr. De Ceglie, the demand has led to reports online of long queues; The general interest in both packages surprised the club.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response and demand,” he said. Business News.
“We don’t want to talk about specific numbers right now, but it’s fair to say it was at least three times what we expected in the first 24 hours.
“We are on track to become the absolute membership hub of the NRL and WA sports scene.”
For context, the Dolphins, who entered the NRL in 2023, had 28,594 members in 2025.
The Dolphins were able to capitalize on the existing Redcliffe Dolphins, a traditional powerhouse in the Hostplus Cup (formerly the Queensland Cup) in terms of their rusty local supporter base, pub, playing and field facilities.
HBF Park in East Perth, the Bears’ home ground, has a rectangular sports attendance capacity of approximately 20,441.
The logic behind the $3000 price tag explained
Predominantly on social media, there were some segments of Perth Bears members who were less than impressed by the premium foundation’s membership price tag; some described the club as “out of touch” with the common fan base and even held a view that the club did not care about the increasing cost of living pressures affecting households.
Mr De Ceglie reiterated: Business News He said the Bears are grateful to all fans and the club anticipates that the premium foundation member package will likely only attract a select segment of fans.
“We anticipated that only a small number of fans would choose this option, and so far we are on track with our goal,” he said.
“We are so grateful to all our supporters.
“Premium membership pricing is compared to what the Dolphins used for similar Glasshouse Club membership when they recently entered the NRL.
“We also compared this to memberships such as the Port Masters that the Fremantle Dockers used when they entered the AFL, taking inflation into account.
“I think it is important to remember that the Perth Bears are a not-for-profit club and every income we generate goes back into the club and developing the best game in Western Australia.”
Lessons from the online process
While technical difficulties with the club’s website during the membership launch were not ideal, Mr De Ceglie pointed out that demand played a role.
“The technical challenges were twofold, mainly due to unprecedented demand but also due to some issues with our e-commerce provider,” he said.
“We continue to plan for extra demand, but it is always much more than we expected.
“I think the lesson for the Perth Bears and the rest of the sporting world is that the demand for the NRL in Western Australia is much greater than we all expected.
“We are grateful for our fans’ understanding and support, as well as their patience.
“We are working with the e-commerce provider to ensure that everyone affected by the errors is resolved as quickly as possible.
“It says a lot about the passion of Bears fans that everyone is really supportive.”
CEO says Bears could one day rival Broncos’ business success
The Bears have already announced that their inaugural jerseys will be unveiled before the Melbourne Storm-Manly Sea Eagles match at HBF Park on August 8 (1pm) and those in the stadium will have the opportunity to purchase one on the field.
Mr. De Ceglie said the Bears are focused on further expanding their trade pipeline leading up to their debut in 2027; He said a commercial boom could one day rival one of Australia’s richest sports brands.
“The Perth Bears continue to break business records not only for the NRL but for the national sporting world,” he said.
“For example, I believe our jersey will be the most commercially successful jersey for any sports club in Australia.
“We want to enter the NRL in 2027 as a powerhouse, both economically and in terms of membership.
“I truly believe the Perth Bears can rival the Brisbane Broncos as the most commercially successful team in the NRL.”
Founded in 1982, Brisbane is the only NRL club on the ASX, having been listed on 12 May 1989.
The net profit of the Broncos, whose market value is $159.8 million, increased from $5.71 million to $7.77 million in 2025.
Operating income increased 20.8 percent to $98.3 million; This includes a 16.8 percent increase in sponsorship revenues.
As of December 31, 2025, the Broncos’ total equity reached $53.5 million.
