Mike Tindall makes surprising announcement from Australia with wife Zara

Mike Tindall surprised fans with a major announcement from Australia, alongside his royal wife Zara.

The former England rugby player took to his Instagram story to promote a November charity event, "Blackeye Gin x BŌKEN Charity Night" scheduled for November 7 in London, following his recent trip to Australia with Zara.

The 46-year-old will host the event alongside his podcast co-hosts, James Haskell and Alex Payne.

The announcement comes after the couple made an unexpected appearance at Wednesday's State of Origin rugby league decider in Sydney.

Zara and Mike looked stunning in Queensland's maroon colours during the game as they secured prime seats directly on the field.

The couple were filmed standing alongside Nicole Slater and cheering enthusiastically for the Maroons throughout the game.

They watched Queensland defeat New South Wales 24-12 at Accor Stadium as guests of Nicole Slater, wife of Queensland coach Billy Slater.

Mike also released a preview of a members-only extra episode of The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast called The Lock In on his Instagram story. The charity event represents the latest collaboration between the rugby legend and his podcast partners.

Mike was spotted recording video footage of both the crowd and the match on his phone during the game. The pair braved Sydney's winter conditions, bundling up in jackets and beanies as temperatures dropped to eight degrees Celsius by the end of the match at Homebush.

Their presence at the rugby league decider surprised local spectators, as they chose to support Queensland's series-clinching victory rather than attend Wimbledon, where Zara's brother Peter Phillips was spotted in the royal box alongside Queen Camilla.