Bear Country

BearsAdmin

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BearsAdmin

Bear Country is run by Bears supporters, and we need a few more hands as we build towards the 2027 season. We're looking for two kinds of volunteer.

Forum moderators

Help look after the whole forum, from The Den and Signings & Rumours to WA Rugby League and The Third Half:

welcome new members and point them to the right place
keep threads on track and step in if things get heated
deal with flagged posts and approve new members' first posts

Match-day hosts

From 2027, every Bears game needs someone running its threads. A match-day host, posting in Match Day:

starts the game thread before kick-off and pins it
keeps the chat flowing (and the referee rants within reason)
kicks off the post-match thread at full time

A couple of hosts is ideal so nobody has to do every game.

What it takes

A few minutes a week, more on game day if you like. You'll get the tools to edit, move, close and pin threads, plus a private chat with the rest of the forum team.

Put your hand up

Start a chat with BearsAdmin (the chat button on the profile) and tell us which role you'd like. Only the forum team sees it.

Go Bears.

BearsAdmin

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information Bear Country collects from members and visitors, how we use it, and your rights.

Bear Country is an independent fan community for supporters of the Perth Bears. It's run by volunteer fan admins. We are not affiliated with the Perth Bears, the North Sydney Bears, or the NRL.

1. Information We Collect

Account information: When you register, we collect your username, email address, and any profile information you choose to provide (e.g. location, about me, avatar).

Posts and activity: Content you post on the forum, including topics, replies, and chat messages, is stored on our servers.

IP addresses: We record the IP address you register, log in and post from. We use it to keep the forum secure, block spammers and enforce bans.

Cookies and session data: We use cookies to keep you logged in and to maintain your site preferences. These are standard functional cookies required for the forum to work. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

Third-party login: If you log in with Google, Google may share your name and email address with us. We do not receive your Google password.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Operate and maintain the forum
Send essential account notifications (e.g. password resets, security alerts)
Send email digests and reply notifications if you have opted in
Moderate the community, prevent spam and enforce our guidelines
Understand how members use the site so we can improve it
Produce anonymous totals about our membership (see Section 4)

3. Email Communications

We limit the emails we send. By default, you will only receive emails essential to your account (email confirmation, password resets, moderation notices). Digest and notification emails can be enabled in your account settings but are off by default.

You can unsubscribe from non-essential emails at any time through your account settings.

4. Aggregated Data

We may share anonymous, aggregated totals with organisations that help us run the site, such as sponsors or advertisers. These may include:

The size and general activity level of our membership
Broad geographic breakdown (e.g. percentage of members in Western Australia vs other states)
General engagement metrics (e.g. average posts per week)

This data cannot identify you individually. We only report groups big enough that nobody can be picked out. We do not sell, rent, or share personal information, including your name, email address, or individual browsing history.

5. Spam Checks

When you register, your email address and IP address are checked against StopForumSpam, a public list of known spammers, so we can block spam accounts before they post.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:

Service providers who help us operate the site (e.g. our email sending provider, our hosting provider). They are only permitted to use your data to provide services to us.
Law enforcement or regulatory authorities if required by law.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from your account settings, and we will remove your personal information within a reasonable time. Note that posts you made may remain on the forum attributed to an anonymised username.

8. Security

We take reasonable technical measures to protect your data. No internet service can guarantee absolute security. Use a strong, unique password for your account.

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Correct inaccurate information
Request deletion of your account and associated data
Opt out of non-essential email communications

To exercise these rights, email [email protected] or message an admin on the forum.

10. Third-Party Services

Bear Country uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

Brevo (email delivery)
Google (login, if used)
StopForumSpam (registration spam checks)
DigitalOcean (web hosting, in Sydney)
Snowflake (database hosting, in Sydney)
Cloudflare (security and delivery)

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post a notice in Announcements when we do. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance.

12. Contact

If you have questions about this policy or your data, email [email protected] or message an admin on the forum.

BearsAdmin

Bear Country Community Guidelines

Welcome to Bear Country, the fan community for Perth Bears supporters. This is a place built by fans, for fans. To keep it that way, we ask everyone to read and respect these guidelines.

1. Be Respectful

Debate is welcome. Abuse is not.

Criticise ideas, not people. Disagreeing with someone's take on a signing or a team list is fine; attacking the person making it is not.
No personal insults, harassment, or targeted pile-ons.
Constructive criticism of players and coaches is fine. Blanket character attacks are not. "Player X needs to tidy up his defence on the left edge" is fine. "Player X is useless" is not.
Treat new members the way you'd want to be treated when you were new. Plenty of Bears fans are new to rugby league.

2. Keep It On Topic

This is a Perth Bears forum. Keep threads relevant to rugby league, the club, and the community.
Post in the right category: game threads in Match Day, recruitment talk in Signings & Rumours, local footy in WA Rugby League, and everything else in The Third Half.
Do not derail threads. If a conversation needs a new direction, start a new topic.
Search before posting. Your question has probably been asked before.

3. One Account Per Person

Each member gets one account. Creating alternate accounts to evade a ban or bypass a moderation decision will result in permanent removal.

4. Rumours and Unverified Information

Recruitment and contract rumours belong in Signings & Rumours, clearly labelled as rumours. Name your source where you can.
Do not present speculation as fact.
Do not spread information about players' personal lives, injuries, or private matters without a verified source.

5. No Defamatory Content

Do not post content that could be considered defamatory about players, officials, coaches, or other members. This includes:

False statements of fact presented as true
Allegations about ongoing legal matters involving the club or players
Personal information about individuals that hasn't been made public by them

6. Restricted Topics

To keep the forum focused and constructive, the following are off-limits:

Racial, political, and religious discussion, unless directly and specifically related to the club or the NRL
Pending legal matters involving the club, players, or officials
Player personal lives beyond what they've chosen to make public

7. Copyright

Do not copy and paste full articles from newspapers or other sites. Post a summary and a link instead.
Sharing short excerpts with attribution is fine.

8. No Spam or Advertising

No unsolicited commercial content, affiliate links, or advertising of any kind.
Self-promotion (e.g. your podcast or blog) is allowed in moderation if it is genuinely relevant to the Bears.
Unauthorised commercial advertising: Any post that constitutes unsolicited advertising may incur an advertising fee of A$500 plus GST, payable on demand, regardless of whether the post is subsequently removed.

9. Moderation

The Bear Country mod team are volunteers who love the club as much as you do. We cannot monitor content 24/7, so some inappropriate content may remain visible until it is reported and reviewed. Users acknowledge they participate at their own risk.

A new member's first posts may be held for a moderator to approve before they appear.
Posts that break these guidelines may be removed without notice or explanation.
Repeated or serious breaches will result in suspension or a permanent ban.
If you see something that breaks the rules, use the flag button rather than engaging with it.
Moderation decisions are final. If you have a genuine concern, contact the admin privately.
Where a moderator is a participant in a discussion, another moderator will handle any necessary enforcement to ensure impartiality.

10. Have Fun

At the end of the day, we're all here because we love the Bears. Win or lose, this is your community. Treat it well.

Go Bears.

Terms of Service

Last updated: October 2026

By registering an account on Bear Country you agree to these Terms of Service.

11. Your Account

You must provide accurate information when registering. A valid email address is required.
You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and password.
You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
Bear Country reserves the right to terminate accounts that violate these terms, with or without notice.

12. Content You Post

By posting on Bear Country you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display your content on this site.
You retain ownership of content you create.
You are solely responsible for what you post. Do not post anything you do not have the right to share.
We may remove any content at our discretion, including content that violates these terms or our community guidelines.

13. Intellectual Property

Bear Country and its original content are the property of the site operator.
NRL club logos, names, and imagery are the property of their respective clubs and the NRL. Bear Country is an independent fan site with no affiliation to the Perth Bears, the North Sydney Bears, or the NRL.

14. Limitation of Liability

Bear Country is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind.
We are not liable for any damages arising from your use of this site or reliance on content posted here.
We are not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or legality of member-posted content.
The moderation team are volunteers and cannot monitor all content at all times. By using the site you acknowledge this and agree to use the flag function to report inappropriate content.

15. Advertising

Bear Country is a free, independent fan community. To help cover running costs, the site may display advertising in the future. We will not show advertising that we consider intrusive or inappropriate for a sports fan community.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of the site after a change constitutes acceptance. Updates will be posted in Announcements.

17. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia.

BearsAdmin

Bear Country is brand new. Tell us what works, what doesn't, and what you'd like to see added.

BearsAdmin

G'day and welcome to Bear Country, a fan-run home for Perth Bears supporters.

Whether you're a Perth local who's just found rugby league, or a North Sydney diehard who's waited decades for the Bears to return, pull up a seat.

Quick start

Say hello in The Den
Game threads live in Match Day (one per game, please)
Recruitment talk goes in Signings & Rumours

House rules: play the ball, not the person. No abuse of players, officials or other fans. Keep rumours labelled as rumours.

Bear Country is an independent fan forum and isn't affiliated with the club or the NRL.