Game on for league’s first ladies
SEANNA CRONIN
IT’S been 30 years since Tina Turner and Jimmy Barnes’ now iconic Simply the Best duet captured the hearts of NRL fans.
The ballad became rugby league’s enduring anthem and is regarded as one of the code’s most successful marketing initiatives, boosting ratings and drawing more women to the sport.
It certainly caught the ear of a young Yvonne Sampson, who was a horse-mad schoolgirl on the Sunshine Coast at the time.
“It was a time when I fell head over heels in love with the game,” she says. “Thirty years ago I think of the Brisbane Broncos, Alfie Langer and the success they had during that time. As a rugby league fan that was influential in my love for the game. It would be wonderful to see the Broncos back on top.”
She he shares that hope with many Queenslanders as the leadup to the 2020 season reaches fever pitch.
“Everyone will be very focused on how Latrell Mitchell will go and there are some great rookies full of potential,” she says. “I also think people are fascinated to see if the Roosters can go back to back to back. To do a three piece is pretty phenomenal and they don’t look like they’ve lost anything over the off season.”
Now in her fourth year as a Fox Sports presenter, Sampson will host Fox League’s live game day coverage with her League Life costars Hannah Hollis, Lara Pitt and Jessica Yates.
In a major shake-up, the content of their beloved Wednesday night program will be incorporated into their game-day coverage.
“We’re heading into our fourth season now all working together and we’ve formed such a great friendship and support network. To have us all involved in game day right across every regular round is pretty great,” she says. “We’ll still have all the great stories away from the field and drill down on the rugby league community, just not at that one particular timeslot.”
Sampson can also be seen on Fox Sports’ new Foxw pop-up channel (channel 507) celebrating International Women’s Day. Her candid interview with NRLW player Tiana Penitani is available to stream and view on demand now.
“She’s such a wonderful young role model, not just for women but any athlete,” she says. “She’s a wonderful example of resilience, tenacity and work ethic. I found her story really compelling and I think it will resonate with a lot of people.”
As a fan working in her dream job alongside some of the game’s immortals – after getting her foot in the door at Channel 7 thanks to her dad’s chance meeting with Wendell Sailor – Sampson says the future is bright for young women wanting to get into sports journalism. “Back when I graduated it was pretty much print, radio or TV,” she says.
“Now we’ve got so many more options and platforms. The scope for women getting into journalism and in particular sports journalism is far greater. They have the opportunity to challenge the game and champion the way forward.”
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