Perth Bears: Why a club set up for burly, hairy gay men sent an urgent message to supporters of the NRL’s newest team

Fans of the NRL‘s freshly announced Perth Bears team have unwittingly been trying to join a club for gay men due to confusion over the organisation’s name.

The supporters’ attempts to join up have prompted the Perth Bears Supporters Group to clarify that their membership is not based around the resurrected club, which played first grade as the North Sydney Bears from 1908 until 1999.

‘Bears Perth is a social group for men, established in 1993….we are NOT associated with the newly announced NRL club,’ the group said in a statement on Facebook.

‘Please do not sign up for membership if you are here to join the rugby club.’ 

According to Grindr, a bear in gay culture is a man who has plenty of body hair and also tends to have a bigger physique.

It comes as the head of rugby league in Western Australia has predicted the Perth Bears will have 30,000 local members in their first season and lay claim to one of the NRL’s biggest fanbases.

There is plenty of excitement with footy fans after the Perth Bears were announced as the newest NRL franchise on May 8 by ARLC boss Peter V’Landys (pictured, centre, with WA Premier Roger Cook, left, and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo)

Footy fans have been asking about joining the Perth Bears Supporters Group – which is actually an organisation for gay men (stock image) 

It has prompted members from the social group to clarify the exact nature of their membership in a Facebook post (pictured)

After being confirmed as the league’s 18th team, officials have begun laying the groundwork for the Bears’ competition entry in 2027.

A board is expected to be implemented by the NRL in coming weeks, with former state Labor minister Peter Tinley among those linked to a role as one of at least three West Australian directors.

That will clear the way for a CEO and coach to be named, with Brad Arthur the early favourite to mentor the team.

‘I believe if this is done really meticulously and professionally, I would say 30,000 local members. I think 30,000 is achievable,’ NRL WA CEO John Sackson said.

‘If you look at some of the crowds we have been getting, sold-out crowds at HBF Park. Origin (game two, June 18) there will be 60,000 there.

‘The excitement around the market, I am getting texts from people saying where do I sign?’

Sackson also said he had already been approached by several potential sponsors before last week’s official announcement from the NRL.

‘I think it can be a countrywide juggernaut,’ he added.

‘You have two sets of fans, the North Sydney Bears and (Western) Reds, who were ruthlessly ejected from their competitions and a lot of those fans went into hibernation.

‘They were disenfranchised, disillusioned and many lost to the game of rugby league.

‘Now those fans have a second chance to support the Bears and West Australian franchise.

‘If there is harmony and unity between the two fan bases, it could potentially be the biggest fan base in the competition.’