Perth Bears appoint Tony Rea CEO

The Perth Bears have appointed Tony Rea as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. The board has handed him the job of leading the club through what Chairman Ben Morton calls its “build phase”.

Rea fills the seat left by Anthony De Ceglie, the former Seven News chief who stepped down as the club’s inaugural CEO last month. General Manager of Football Gareth Holmes has led the organisation as Interim CEO since then. The board thanked Holmes and the club’s professional team for stepping up.

Morton said the club has three phases of development, and Rea’s experience is what it needs for the second.

“There are three distinct phases in our club’s journey: start-up, build and develop. We have successfully navigated the start-up phase, and Tony brings the leadership needed for our build phase,” he said.

READ MORE: Anthony De Ceglie steps down as Perth Bears CEO

Why the CEO seat was vacant

De Ceglie joined the Bears in May 2025 after a year as Director of News and Current Affairs at Seven West Media. Before that, he was Editor-in-Chief of The West Australian. He led the club through its establishment ahead of its NRL debut in 2027 and announced his departure on 9 October 2026 without giving a reason.

According to Morton, the club secured record commercial partnerships under De Ceglie, launched its merchandise range, and signed up more than 20,000 Foundation Members. At the time, Morton said the board would “turn our attention to the leadership of our organisation as we enter the next phase of our story.”

Who is Tony Rea?

Rea has more than 30 years’ experience in professional sport and international business, including global capital markets.

He played for and captained the North Sydney Bears, coached the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby, and served as both CEO and coach of the London Broncos when the club entered the Super League.

“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,” said Rea.

A resources-sector model

Morton compared the club’s growth to how Western Australia’s mining companies develop.

“This is a known concept in WA, aligned with our resources sector where companies move from exploration to construction and then production. Getting the leadership right at each phase is critical for success. As a board, we are delighted with Tony’s appointment,” he said.

He added that Rea’s main job will be to bring the club’s departments together.

“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.”

Supporting Meninga’s squad

Rea said his priority is to make sure the playing group, led by Head Coach Mal Meninga, has the support it needs.

“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,” he said.

Rea will move to Western Australia for the job.

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