Things are starting to feel real for the Perth Bears after they unveiled their inaugural home jersey for the 2027 season which pays tribute to North Sydney’s strip when they entered the top grade in 1908.
The red and black hoops that were made famous in North Sydney feature prominently in the new design that was shown off on Friday ahead of the Storm’s clash with Manly in Perth this weekend.
“The Perth Bears are the most exciting story in Australian sport,” Perth Bears chief executive Anthony De Ceglie said.
“While our club is new, it is not without history and we move forward on the foundations of both the North Sydney Bears and rugby league in WA.
“We’re extremely proud to be taking the red-and-black colours into a brand new era while also honouring our history.”
The North Sydney Bears were one of the foundation clubs 118 years ago, with the founding year and original logo to feature on the back collar of the new jersey.
The foundation jersey partners include principal partner Cash Converters, premier partner Budget Direct, as well as major partners Penrite Oil, Atlas and XFM.
The jersey launch is the latest milestone for the club who announced on Thursday that English international Morgan Smithies was the latest key signing after he inked a long-term deal to leave Canberra at the end of the season.
“It’s really important to acknowledge our history, but also to create a new identity for the Bears here on the west coast,” Bears coach Mal Meninga said.
“A bear doesn’t shy away, a bear stands up, a bear is bold and courageous, which is exactly what we are going to be.
“We are focused on building a club that WA and North Sydney will be proud of and we will have a team that will do that.”
Originally published as ‘Most exciting story in Australian sport’: Major milestone as the Perth Bears unveil their historic jersey