Perth Bears Media Watch

[SirPies&Beers]

 

[SirPies&Beers]

Exclusive: Perth Bears NRL CEO on taking games to Singapore

The newest NRL side the Perth Bears want to play in Singapore as the rugby league franchise prepares to launch for 2027.

www.cityam.com

Exclusive: Perth Bears NRL CEO on taking games to Singapore​

By:Matt Hardy
Deputy Sports Editor - City AM
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NRL rugby league team Perth Bears wants to play in Singapore
The newest NRL side the Perth Bears have demonstrated their league’s ambition to dominate global rugby league ahead of their debut, saying they want to play in Singapore.

Perth Bears will join the NRL in 2027, becoming the first rugby league team to join the Australian top flight since the Dolphins in 2023.

And chief executive, former editor-and-chief of West Australian Newspapers Anthony De Ceglie, says he’s jumping on board with NRL commissioner Peter V’landys’s plan to dominate rugby league.

V’landys has touted the NRL buying a stake in the English Super League, albeit talks have softened, while he has spearheaded a season weekend in Las Vegas in a move that is edging the Australian league to the AUS$1bn per season revenue mark.

“We are in a very different time zone to Sydney and Melbourne,” De Ceglie tells City AM. “We are in the economic Asian powerhouse time zone and that’s really handy for us.

Stay ahead with our three daily briefings delivering all the key market moves, top business and political stories, and incisive analysis straight to your inbox.

“I’d love to take the NRL to Singapore; it could be the Perth version of Las Vegas. There’s so many opportunities because of the time zone of Perth, not just into the east coast market, because it means we can play that late game, but also taking the game into Asia could be huge.”

Perth Bears to Singapore?​

Perth will join the NRL in 2027 while a team from Papua New Guinea will follow them in the following season as a federal Australia looks to curb China’s influence in the Pacific.

It means the NRL will expand to 19 teams, while last year’s Ashes series between Australia and England — the first in 20 years — demonstrated how both the Super League and its southern hemisphere equivalent could work together.

Last year Brisbane Broncos legend Darren Lockyer and his Australian consortium purchased English Championship side London Broncos with the view of seeing them in the Super League next year, showing a sign of growing cross-league interest.

While De Ceglie, who says Perth will play home games on the west coast and in Sydney, wouldn’t be drawn on whether the two leagues should be financially entwined, he says that V’landys is “very adamant that he does what is good for the game”.

“They [V’landys and the NRL] are very impressive,” he adds.“They always think about what’s good for the game and what’s good for the viewer. I can’t imagine them doing anything that isn’t going to, at its heart, maintain those two goals.

“We’re the most watched sporting code in Australia and we have a monopoly on it in Western Australia. It’s a pretty easy selling point, but we’re capitalising on the growth of the game. We’re very lucky to be doing that.”

 

[Wb1234]

Exclusive: Perth Bears NRL CEO on taking games to Singapore

The newest NRL side the Perth Bears want to play in Singapore as the rugby league franchise prepares to launch for 2027.

www.cityam.com

Exclusive: Perth Bears NRL CEO on taking games to Singapore​

By:Matt Hardy
Deputy Sports Editor - City AM
Share

NRL rugby league team Perth Bears wants to play in Singapore
The newest NRL side the Perth Bears have demonstrated their league’s ambition to dominate global rugby league ahead of their debut, saying they want to play in Singapore.

Perth Bears will join the NRL in 2027, becoming the first rugby league team to join the Australian top flight since the Dolphins in 2023.

And chief executive, former editor-and-chief of West Australian Newspapers Anthony De Ceglie, says he’s jumping on board with NRL commissioner Peter V’landys’s plan to dominate rugby league.

V’landys has touted the NRL buying a stake in the English Super League, albeit talks have softened, while he has spearheaded a season weekend in Las Vegas in a move that is edging the Australian league to the AUS$1bn per season revenue mark.

“We are in a very different time zone to Sydney and Melbourne,” De Ceglie tells City AM. “We are in the economic Asian powerhouse time zone and that’s really handy for us.

Stay ahead with our three daily briefings delivering all the key market moves, top business and political stories, and incisive analysis straight to your inbox.

“I’d love to take the NRL to Singapore; it could be the Perth version of Las Vegas. There’s so many opportunities because of the time zone of Perth, not just into the east coast market, because it means we can play that late game, but also taking the game into Asia could be huge.”

Perth Bears to Singapore?​

Perth will join the NRL in 2027 while a team from Papua New Guinea will follow them in the following season as a federal Australia looks to curb China’s influence in the Pacific.

It means the NRL will expand to 19 teams, while last year’s Ashes series between Australia and England — the first in 20 years — demonstrated how both the Super League and its southern hemisphere equivalent could work together.

Last year Brisbane Broncos legend Darren Lockyer and his Australian consortium purchased English Championship side London Broncos with the view of seeing them in the Super League next year, showing a sign of growing cross-league interest.

While De Ceglie, who says Perth will play home games on the west coast and in Sydney, wouldn’t be drawn on whether the two leagues should be financially entwined, he says that V’landys is “very adamant that he does what is good for the game”.

“They [V’landys and the NRL] are very impressive,” he adds.“They always think about what’s good for the game and what’s good for the viewer. I can’t imagine them doing anything that isn’t going to, at its heart, maintain those two goals.

“We’re the most watched sporting code in Australia and we have a monopoly on it in Western Australia. It’s a pretty easy selling point, but we’re capitalising on the growth of the game. We’re very lucky to be doing that.”

You got your Singapore team

 

[steeden.]

Exclusive: Perth Bears NRL CEO on taking games to Singapore​

Good on them, but I hope they go as the away team and don’t squander a home game to do it (especially if one of the 12 home games is already being played in Sydney)

 

[Bukowski]

Good on them, but I hope they go as the away team and don’t squander a home game to do it (especially if one of the 12 home games is already being played in Sydney)

Same goes for Magic round, please don't make them vagrants like west tigers.

 

[Perth Red]

Good on them, but I hope they go as the away team and don’t squander a home game to do it (especially if one of the 12 home games is already being played in Sydney)

Selfishly Id be happy to give up a home game. Singapore is one of my fave cities in the world and this would be a great excuse to visit again!

 

[Perth Red]

You got your Singapore team

Where's Donkey? Didn't he want a singapore team years ago?

 

[Wb1234]

Where's Donkey? Didn't he want a singapore team years ago?

Shooed you can’t work out who people are on here

 

[Bukowski]

Shooed you can’t work out who people are on here

Donkey is pies? No way!
He's way too far up RBB'S arse to be him.

 

[Nuke]

It surely wouldn't happen in year 1, but I can see a game (double-header even?) working in Singapore.

However, 12 'home' games per year:
* 1-2 in Sydney
* 1 in Singapore
* 1 in Brisbane (Magic Round) every couple of years

It starts diluting the 'this is WA's team' statement. Also starts resembling the Wests Tigers situation of having multiple home venues. Dragons were also like that to a lesser degree several years ago with Kograh, Wollongong, and SFS.

For mine, it should be no more than 2 'home' games away from WA per season:
* 1 game in Singapore OR Sydney (1x pre-season game in Sydney should be a thing every year anyway, so should still be keeping the N.Syd contingent happy)
* 1 home game in Vegas OR Magic Round (which I am pretty sure the NRL do for clubs as it is).

In the years where they're not involved in Vegas and have an away game for Magic, sure have a home game in Sydney and Singapore.

But, honestly, I'd still prefer the 'home' game in Sydney to be a pre-season game, not a premiership game. They'd be playing in NSW for most of their away games anyway. Perth Bears should be playing home games in Perth, for what my thoughts are worth.

But if they have to play home games elsewhere, I'd prefer they do my suggestion at the start of this post.

 

[SirPies&Beers]

More on Singapore

Perth Bears open door to Singapore games

“Perth version of Las Vegas.”

www.zerotackle.com

NRL CEO launches plans to take games to Singapore and Asia

Could the NRL soon take major games to Asia - with Singapore a possible location? That is an idea floated by one competition CEO..

www.loverugbyleague.com

Perth Bears looking to host games overseas with Asia seen as potential market - Serious About Rugby League

They haven’t even entered the NRL yet, but Perth Bears are already looking to grow the sport and take some of their matches on the road. The NRL’s 18th team will join the competition in 2027, and so far have only recruited around a dozen players. Some of those are known to fans of Super […]

www.seriousaboutrl.com

Perth Bears keen to take NRL to Singapore – Total Rugby League

www.totalrl.com

 

[SirPies&Beers]

It surely wouldn't happen in year 1, but I can see a game (double-header even?) working in Singapore.

However, 12 'home' games per year:
* 1-2 in Sydney
* 1 in Singapore
* 1 in Brisbane (Magic Round) every couple of years

It starts diluting the 'this is WA's team' statement. Also starts resembling the Wests Tigers situation of having multiple home venues. Dragons were also like that to a lesser degree several years ago with Kograh, Wollongong, and SFS.

For mine, it should be no more than 2 'home' games away from WA per season:
* 1 game in Singapore OR Sydney (1x pre-season game in Sydney should be a thing every year anyway, so should still be keeping the N.Syd contingent happy)
* 1 home game in Vegas OR Magic Round (which I am pretty sure the NRL do for clubs as it is).

In the years where they're not involved in Vegas and have an away game for Magic, sure have a home game in Sydney and Singapore.

But, honestly, I'd still prefer the 'home' game in Sydney to be a pre-season game, not a premiership game. They'd be playing in NSW for most of their away games anyway. Perth Bears should be playing home games in Perth, for what my thoughts are worth.

But if they have to play home games elsewhere, I'd prefer they do my suggestion at the start of this post.

If any place should have an in season “home” game for bears it’s Sydney. Not Singapore or Brisbane (magic round though I get it).

I get the whole away games thing, I really do but establishing a Sydney fortress is such a unique proposition. If not at nso then make it central coast.

I also get the preseason trial game thing. But they don’t mean anything. You need the game to mean something.

 

[Wb1234]

If any place should have an in season “home” game for bears it’s Sydney. Not Singapore or Brisbane (magic round though I get it).

I get the whole away games thing, I really do but establishing a Sydney fortress is such a unique proposition. If not at nso then make it central coast.

I also get the preseason trial game thing. But they don’t mean anything. You need the game to mean something.

Same as the dolphins shouldn’t be playing a game in Darwin

 

[Black Panther]

Perth haven’t even struck a blow yet and are already talking about games in Singapore. They need to concentrate on building their own team first.

 

[Bukowski]

Having Laundy own 6PR can only be a good thing for NRL in Perth. Might even broadcast Bears games.

 

[Gobsmacked]

It surely wouldn't happen in year 1, but I can see a game (double-header even?) working in Singapore.

However, 12 'home' games per year:
* 1-2 in Sydney
* 1 in Singapore
* 1 in Brisbane (Magic Round) every couple of years

It starts diluting the 'this is WA's team' statement. Also starts resembling the Wests Tigers situation of having multiple home venues. Dragons were also like that to a lesser degree several years ago with Kograh, Wollongong, and SFS.

For mine, it should be no more than 2 'home' games away from WA per season:
* 1 game in Singapore OR Sydney (1x pre-season game in Sydney should be a thing every year anyway, so should still be keeping the N.Syd contingent happy)
* 1 home game in Vegas OR Magic Round (which I am pretty sure the NRL do for clubs as it is).

In the years where they're not involved in Vegas and have an away game for Magic, sure have a home game in Sydney and Singapore.

But, honestly, I'd still prefer the 'home' game in Sydney to be a pre-season game, not a premiership game. They'd be playing in NSW for most of their away games anyway. Perth Bears should be playing home games in Perth, for what my thoughts are worth.

But if they have to play home games elsewhere, I'd prefer they do my suggestion at the start of this post.

All valid points!
I will just say though, money talks..
Singapore is one of the richest per Capita countries in the world with a good stadium. The commercial opportunities are off the charts.

 

[Nuke]

Oh, 100%. And as stated, the same timezone as us (WA) so timewise, on TV, it'll suit. It also opens the door for the NRL in Singapore, which, no doubt, PVL will be stoked with.

Like I said, I have no problem with it, and think it's a great thing ... so long as not too many 'home' games are being played away from WA in a season. This isn't a new team in an established area (ala the Dolphins). This is a new team in a developing area. An area that will have very dedicated and big, continued support in time, so long as the WA public feel like this is their team and not some part-time team who just come here occasionally to take some government (aka 'tax') money.

That said, being FIFO is a common thing here in WA..!

 

[Perth Red]

Donkey is pies? No way!
He's way too far up RBB'S arse to be him.

yeh Donkey didnt like anyone lol

 

[Perth Red]

Same as the dolphins shouldn’t be playing a game in Darwin

$$;s. Bills have to be paid

 

[Perth Red]

Oh, 100%. And as stated, the same timezone as us (WA) so timewise, on TV, it'll suit. It also opens the door for the NRL in Singapore, which, no doubt, PVL will be stoked with.

Like I said, I have no problem with it, and think it's a great thing ... so long as not too many 'home' games are being played away from WA in a season. This isn't a new team in an established area (ala the Dolphins). This is a new team in a developing area. An area that will have very dedicated and big, continued support in time, so long as the WA public feel like this is their team and not some part-time team who just come here occasionally to take some government (aka 'tax') money.

That said, being FIFO is a common thing here in WA..!

I could understand commercially if we had 10 games at 'Home' in Perth.
1 in Sydney, but at Allianz not NSO, to financially capitalise and encouage Sydney membership
1 on the road, be it Singapore, Magic Weekend or Bunbury (The Premier was quite keen at the launch to see the club play in regional WA).
Season opener at Optus and 9 games at HBF.
that'd be ok.