Any education isn’t complete without a dash of culture, so please take the time to appreciate this carefully curated selection of some of rugby league’s finest works of art.
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The Tina Turner Wing
Simply The Best
Over 25 years since it’s inception, Simply The Best remains the most adored piece of rugby league music ever recorded. It became the soundtrack to the sport throughout the early 90s, and remains synonymous with rugby league 20 years after it was last used. This particular example is from 1995, when the league rebadged to the ARL and admitted four new teams.
What You Get Is What You See
Another example of the Grandmother of Rugby League’s finest rugby league work was her inaugural rugby league advertisement, ‘What You Get Is What You See’. The song itself perhaps didn’t resonate with audiences the same way that ‘Simply The Best’ would, but as you can see from the footage, this promotion still featured just the right blend of pop music, rugby league action, and semi-nude men to please a wide variety of audiences.
The NRL Wing
Blow That Whistle, Ref
It would probably be unfair to the great Australian poet, Thomas Kenneally, to describe this left-field 1999 NRL ad as a steaming pile of crap, but it would also be dishonest to describe it as anything else. It’s a steaming pile of crap.
What A Game
The NRL tried to capture lightning in a bottle twice, when they rolled out the old man equivalant of Tina Turner, Tom Jones and his ‘What A Game’ promo in 2000. The idea was there, but unfortunately the song was a bit lame, and the ad was widely panned before being largely forgotten.
That’s My Team
Perhaps the only NRL ad that can compare favourably with Simply The Best, the Hoodoo Gurus’ ‘That’s My Team’ would be the anthem of rugby league for a whole new generation. Enormously popular with fans, it would be used for a full five seasons, and holds an important part of rugby league history.
