New Year. New Bear. Same Spirit.
The Perth Bears today unveiled their logo in anticipation of their inaugural 2027 NRL season.
The logo was created by longtime passionate North Sydney Bears supporter and graphic designer Dave Carnovale.
Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie said the logo paid homage and respect to the North Sydney Bears while embracing the club's future in Western Australia.
"The Perth Bears are the most exciting story in Australian sport and we have taken our time to make sure we get this right," De Ceglie said.
"The Perth Bears are a new club; but that will never change the fact that the birthplace and spiritual home of the 'Bears' in rugby league will always be North Sydney.
We're proud that our Bear has been developed from within North Sydney but with an eye on the future.
"We truly believe it represents something that both North Sydney fans and West Australian fans can truly get behind."
Perth Bears Head Coach Mal Meninga said: "This is one club, one family, across two coasts".
"This Bear honours the proud history of the Bears while embracing the energy of Western Australia," he said.
The logo has the glowing support of two North Sydney Bears legends in Greg Florimo and Billy Moore.
"Great legacies do not disappear, they evolve and I am so excited to see our North Sydney Bear reimagined in WA," Florimo said.
Moore added that the Bear "represents every player, every supporter, every moment that shaped the Bears.
It respects where we've come from and proudly shows where we're going.
The logo also has the backing of Western Reds legend Mark Geyer.
"A new year brings fresh belief. I've witnessed first-hand how rugby league has grown here in the West before and I definitely know what it means when the wonderful state of WA gets behind their sporting team," Geyer said.
Western Reds tries over the years
On the design, Carnovale said he wanted to create a responsible evolution using the Bears DNA.
"This logo represents the restoration of the Bears' place in the game they helped create, resulting in a timeless symbol that bridges heritage with future-readiness," he said.
On his design becoming a reality, Carnovale said it was a huge honour.
"They are heading into such an exciting new chapter in Perth, just as the NRL is going global and I'm looking forward to seeing my sons recognise 'daddy's drawing' out in the world," he said.
Perth Bears Chairman Ben Morton said the excitement in Western Australia about entering the NRL was electric.
"The Perth Bears are a new club but not without history - West Australians get a Western Australian team in the NRL and loyal Bears supporters get the Bears back where they belong in Australia's greatest sporting competition," he said.
"The Perth Bears will always honour and respect the history of the Bears in Rugby League and under this new Bear, the Western Australian rugby league community and loyal Bears fans can unite as one in support of the Perth Bears in the NRL."
Following this announcement, the club will launch a limited edition run of merchandise which is set to go live later today on the official Perth Bears website.
