Perth Bears Appoint Former North Sydney Captain Tony Rea as Chief Executive Officer

National Rugby League (NRL) expansion franchise the Perth Bears has appointed experienced sports administrator and executive Tony Rea as CEO, effective immediately.

The appointment fills the executive vacancy created by the departure of former chief executive Anthony De Ceglie and positions the club to enter its operational build phase ahead of its inaugural 2027 NRL season.

Rea brings over three decades of international sports leadership and corporate finance experience to the Western Australian franchise. A former North Sydney Bears captain who played 120 games for the club between 1988 and 1994, Rea previously served as CEO and head coach of the London Broncos in the Super League, in addition to holding coaching positions with Super Rugby’s ACT Brumbies.

Prior to Rea’s permanent appointment, General Manager of Football Gareth Holmes served as interim chief executive while the board conducted its executive search.

Commenting on the alignment of appointing a proven sports administrator for the club’s next developmental milestone, Perth Bears chairman, Ben Morton, said:

“As a board, we are delighted with Tony’s appointment.

“Tony, as CEO, will bring our high-performing teams together as one.

“Tony has the leadership attributes and experience needed.

“Critically, Tony is a proven mentor who is dedicated to ensuring Perth Bears’ success on and off the field.

“Tony shares our commitment to growing rugby league across WA,” Morton said. 

Expressing his commitment to building a unified organisational structure in Western Australia, Perth Bears CEO, Tony Rea, said: “I’ve sat in almost every seat in a club: player, captain, development officer, head coach, director of rugby and board member.”

“My job as CEO is not to do any one of those jobs – but rather to use that experience to lead our professional team together as one, committed to success.”

“The Perth Bears have assembled an exceptional and professional team.

“They have achieved so much in such a short amount of time and I look forward to leading them as CEO into this next chapter.

“Our hungry and determined squad has been curated under the wise leadership of Mal Meninga.

“Our task is to ensure they have every support needed to be the formidable team we know they can be.

“My professional work over the last decade has exposed me, albeit from a distance, to the determination, resilience and grit of Western Australians.

“I’m delighted I’ll be calling WA home and even more delighted to be part of developing more rugby league talent out of WA,” Rea said. 

Operational Transition and Franchise Build Phase

The Perth Bears board outlined a three-stage development framework, start-up, build, and develop, mirroring Western Australia’s resource sector operational models:

• Administrative Build Phase: Rea will lead the integration of commercial, high-performance, and administrative departments as the franchise establishes its operational headquarters at the WACA Ground and East Perth Waterbank training precinct.
• Football Operations Integration: The executive leadership team will work alongside Head Coach Mal Meninga to finalize player roster construction, pathway programs, and support infrastructure ahead of pre-season training.
• Commercial and Pathway Strategy: The club will focus on expanding its Western Australian grassroots rugby league participation models while coordinating operational links with NSW Cup feeder side the North Sydney Bears and Queensland Cup affiliate the Brisbane Tigers.

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