Country singer Robbie Mortimer may have two albums to his name, but he was not exactly a household name among rugby league fans until he performed Advance Australia Fair at the first State of Origin match on Monday night. Unfortunately for Mortimer, he is now known to NRL supporters for what one fan called 'pound-for-pound the worst rendition I've ever heard' – with hundreds of commenters online blasting his take on the song as soon as he had finished.
Fan Reactions
Journalist and author Peter FitzSimons wrote on X: 'Is it me, or was that rendition of the National Anthem at the #Origin a shocker?' A footy fan added: 'It was a shocker musically speaking, but on the other hand, it was about as Aussie as you could possibly get, and continued a proud tradition of terrible Origin anthem renditions.' Another commenter said: 'That national anthem was butchered like nothing I’ve ever heard before.' A further viewer remarked: 'It was just disgraceful. Took the shine off the game. Literally sounded like an orange having a cold if that was a thing lol.'
Accent Criticism
Many fans criticized Mortimer's accent, claiming it did not sound Australian due to his use of a country and western twang during the performance. One commenter stated: 'It sounded like an American trying to sing the Australian anthem in an Aussie accent.'
Mortimer's Rugby League Connections
Mortimer's ties to footy extend far beyond his gig at Accor Stadium. His father, Peter Mortimer, and uncle, Steve Mortimer, are Bulldogs legends. Steve captained the Blues to their first series win in 1985, while Peter also played for NSW in 1979. Mortimer's cousin, Erin Mortimer, performed Advance Australia Fair during last year's Origin series.
Musical Career
Mortimer had his first guitar lesson at age nine and made the grand final of the Toyota Star Maker competition in 2023, beating out other rising country artists. He had already released two albums by then: The Fall of March in 2019 and 200 Years Too Late in 2021, the latter reaching the top 10 of the iTunes chart in Australia. His breakout singles include Blow The Speakers and You Got That Love, which reached No. 1 on the CountryTown top 50.
Other Achievements
Mortimer has opened for superstar acts like The Beach Boys and The Temptations and was nominated for breakthrough artist at last year's CountryTown Awards. According to his website, he grew up with four older brothers on a farm in Orange, NSW, and blends 'traditional country roots with modern rock elements.' Last year, he accumulated over 4.4 million streams and eight million views on Instagram, where he has more than 55,000 followers, including Souths star and former NSW Blues player Jack Wighton.
Mortimer has performed across the country at events like the Dubbo Stock Route Festival, Heart of the Hunter Festival, and Tamworth Carnival of Cups, and is the feature artist for the Professional Bullriders' Association. Before his Origin performance, he posted on Instagram: 'What an honour. My two worlds colliding. I’m honoured to be performing the Australian national anthem tonight at the State of Origin in front of over 82,000 people and millions at home! Extremely proud to be carrying on the Mortimer legacy, started by my dad and uncles on the rugby league paddock, not to mention my amazing cousin @erinmortimermusic who performed the anthem last year.'
