Perth Bears Facility

An initial home base for WA's new NRL team.

Aerial view of Waterbank with Perth’s city skyline and East Perth riverside precinct, showing open green playing fields
Photo: Waterbank. Image courtesy DevelopmentWA

The iconic WACA Ground and nearby Waterbank site in East Perth will become the first home of Australia’s newest National Rugby League (NRL) club, the Perth Bears (the Bears). 

The WACA Ground will host the club’s administration and high-performance space, with Waterbank used as its professional training field. 

Upgrades will be made to both spaces to ensure the Bears have the elite environment needed to enter the NRL competition in 2027.

These upgrades support the WACA Ground Improvement Project in creating a vibrant hub for East Perth and form part of the WA Government’s broader investment towards the introduction of a WA NRL team.

This project is part of the WA Government’s PlayOn WA: 2030 by 2030 initiative to deliver 2,030 community infrastructure items across WA by the year 2030.

What is happening at the WACA Ground

The WACA Ground’s Lillee Marsh Stand will be upgraded to the standards necessary for a professional NRL club.  

Upgrades include:

  • functional strength and conditioning area
  • multipurpose room suitable for wrestling and other training needs
  • sports medicine space for essential services such as physiotherapy, massage, and medical support
  • athlete change rooms
  • administration, meeting facilities and office space for Bears staff. 

What is happening at Waterbank

The combination of location, land size and proximity to the WACA Ground facilities makes Waterbank uniquely positioned to accommodate the team’s training needs.

Upgrades to Waterbank include new goal posts, improved turf, irrigation and drainage works, and a reliable playing surface maintained as a high-quality training field.

News and updates

Timeline

2026

  • January: Rugby goalposts installed at Waterbank site
  • February: Turf installed and drainage works completed at Waterbank site
  • June/July: Contractors appointed and construction starts at the WACA Ground and Waterbank site
  • Late 2026: Bears administration team start moving into the refurbished areas of the Lillee Marsh Stand
  • Late 2026: Bears players start training at Waterbank

2027

Perth Bears enter the NRL competition

Project benefits

This project is an investment in high-performance sport and local community.

The wider sporting community will benefit with local, as well as visiting interstate or international teams able to use the high-performance facilities within the WACA Ground’s Lillee Marsh Stand and train nearby at the Waterbank professional training field.

Future community access at the Waterbank training field is being considered as part of ongoing planning with the intent to deliver even better local amenities to WACA Members, Trinity College and East Perth residents.

Who is involved

The Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport is managing this project on behalf of the Western Australian Government.

We are working closely with:

This collaboration will ensure this project delivers benefits to both the East Perth and sporting communities.

Page reviewed 20 July 2026