Very pleased Peter got on board, RL in WA would have died without his backing. He’s put in more money than the nrl over the last 25 years!
The Perth businessman who tried and failed to establish an NRL team in Western Australia last year says he harbours no ill-will about the endeavour, as he accepts a spot on the board of the organisation that did manage to get the idea up.
Peter Cumins, the executive deputy chair of national retailer Cash Converters, is one of four WA representatives on the nine-person board of the Perth Bears named at the weekend, as the team marches toward joining the competition in 2027.
Cumins led a pitch to establish the Western Bears as an NRL team which collapsed in September after it decided not to make an offer on a license fee. At the time, the consortium declared it had spent “a lot of money for nothing” and had been “blindsided” by the move.
But the former Western Reds chairman told
The Australian Financial Reviewon Sunday his support for a Perth-based team did not waver, nor did the strength of his relationship with the NRL.
“We put a lot of effort into putting in a private bid with a consortium, and were disappointed when that didn’t come through, but all I ever wanted to see was an NRL team out of Perth back,” he said.
“From the moment we got the news that our bid was unsuccessful, people reached out to me and said, ‘If there is a team in Perth, would you still be interested in supporting it?’ I said of course.
“My motivation is the same and my relationship with the NRL was always on a good footing.”
The NRL last month inked a $65 million deal with the WA government to add an 18th club to the competition, a revamped and relocated version of the relegated North Sydney Bears team.
The government has pledged $60 million in direct financial support to the club over seven years and $5 million in marketing help, and it will not be required to fork out for a licensing fee.
Former Seven West Media director of news and current affairs and editor-in-chief of
The West Australian Anthony De Ceglie has been appointed CEO and
rugby league hero Mal Meninga has been made the coach.
Other board members include
former treasurer Joe Hockey – who was the MP representing North Sydney for nearly 20 years – as well as WA Cricket Association boss Christina Matthews, legal academic Emma Garlett and former federal cabinet minister Ben Morton.
Cumins said he did not believe winning commercial sponsorship for the Bears would be a challenge, despite AFL being WA’s dominant football code.
He said the club was in a unique position to leverage its history and attract commercial opportunities on both sides of the country.
“Despite what those on the east coast may think, there’s always been a strong grassroots rugby league in WA, and we’ve got a strong, viable competition locally,” he said.
“[WA has] got a very strong economy, and our population has increased significantly since we had the Western Reds in the late 1990s, so I’m absolutely confident it’s going to be a sustainable, successful club.”
Cash Converters would give serious consideration to sponsoring the club if approached, he said. The company’s branding once adorned Western Reds jerseys.
But as a public company, its support would hinge on it clearing the necessary processes.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said the appointment of a strong and experienced board, along with the recent appointments of Meninga and De Ceglie meant the Bears were on track to becoming a powerhouse for the game in a key market.
Businessman Peter Cumins, whose initial bid for the Western Bears was torpedoed, says all he ever wanted was an NRL team in WA.
www.afr.com
www.nrl.com
