The year is 1988, the NSWRL (Now NRL) had just moved into what for the time was the state-of-the-art Sydney Football Stadium, whilst also expanding North of the NSW border with the introduction of the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Giants. Despite this, rugby league still took a backseat in the Australian sporting calendar, competing with a successful Wallabies squad, and an Australian cricket squad coming off a world cup win in 1987.

The NSWRL also faced a significant threat from the Southern Code of Aussie Rules, with the Sydney Swans gaining in popularity every year. Rugby League needed a little kick-start to win back the hearts of the Australian Public.

It was here where NSWRL boss at the time, John Quayle, turned to his assistant Nicky Braithwaite, who conveniently was friends with a guy named Roger Davies, who was the manager for American Rock and Roll star, Tina Turner. After this genius play of networking. The NSWRL sent some post paddings and branded footballs over to the UK, where Tina was touring at the time.

After recording Tina’s brief cameos for the promotion, which included Manly Five-Eighth Cliff Lyons, and Cronulla 2nd rower, Gavin Miller, Tina’s new hit “What you get is what you see” was played with some highlights that defined the simplistic nature of Rugby League.

The promotion was easily the most successful in Australian sporting history, and it’s unlikely to ever be beaten. By 1993, average attendance shot up from 10,000 in 1988, to 13,500. This association with Tina Turner continued throughout the early 1990s, which reached its peak with Tina performing at the 1993 NSWRL Grand Final between Brisbane and St George.

From “What you see is what you get” In 1989, finishing with “Simply the Best” in 1995. Tina helped define sport in Australia during this era and cement herself as a rugby league icon.

From the Australian Government ruling Tobacco advertising would be banned in sports from 1996, bringing an end to the Winfield Cup name, to the Sydney Swans making their first AFL Grand final that same year, converting many to the game of Australian Football, to the Super League war splitting up the competition in 1997, it’s fair to say this golden era was over.

However, from those very brief cameos filmed in London in 1989 to Tina herself performing on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the final 1995 ARL promo, Tina helped to define an era of sporting culture in Australia that we will never see again.