The 2027 National Rugby League season is the 30th under the NRL banner and the first with 18 clubs. It brings the debut of the Perth Bears, the first top-flight side based in Western Australia since the Western Reds exited at the end of 1997. Approved in May 2025, the Bears will play their home games at HBF Park under inaugural coach Mal Meninga, wearing the red and black of the North Sydney Bears. The PNG Chiefs are not part of the 2027 field; they are scheduled to enter in 2028.
The season opens in Las Vegas on Saturday 27 February (Sunday 28 February AEDT), with Melbourne meeting the Wests Tigers and Parramatta playing the Gold Coast Titans at Allegiant Stadium, alongside a Super League game between Bradford and Leigh. The Bears are not in that opener. Their first match will be set when the full draw is released. Confirmed dates already include a Warriors ANZAC Round game at Eden Park on 25 April, State of Origin Game 2 at Eden Park on 16 June — the first Blues–Maroons match in New Zealand — and Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium, which becomes a nine-game round with no bye. The Sydney Roosters enter as defending premiers after their 19–18 grand final win over Newcastle. The full draw, the Bears’ Round 1 opponent, Origin Games 1 and 3, and the NRL and NRLW grand final dates are still to be announced.