Waugh's wager: What the Lions Tour means for rugby union's future
The turnout did not reflect the home side's chances – most did not believe the Waratahs stood a chance. But they put up a decent fight, ultimately losing by 11 points to a team made up of Britain and Ireland's best rugby union players.
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The Age
8 hours ago
- The Age
‘I'm like an Allies girl': Why this footy superstar would turn her back on the Big V
Molloy wants more footy and more chances to put the game's elite players in the spotlight, and has long wanted the All-Australian side to play together each year. 'I'm lucky to have a couple of All-Australian blazers and I think to myself, God, I'd love to see this team play,' Molloy said. 'I don't know where we play or who we play against, but I always thought to myself that it would be intriguing. 'We've seen so many exciting formats in the men's game, we've seen Origin in the past [in AFLW] and I'd love it. I'd absolutely love it. 'Any way we can showcase talent and put them all together – I'd love to see it in any format.' Some captains also expressed interest in an Australia v Ireland series between AFLW and Gaelic football stars, given the influx of Irish talent. But whatever the format, it must be a good product. 'We need to make sure it is something people want to watch and really build it up,' Crows captain Sarah Allan said. The teams If State of Origin were to return, Molloy believed the teams should be decided based on where a player's club is located, not where they were raised. But there is still strong state allegiance from those who would don an Allies jumper. Collingwood skipper Ruby Schleicher was already picking her WA side mid-interview – Ebony Antonio and Emma Swanson were among her selections – and hatching a plan to claim Chelsea Randall from South Australia's clutches. 'It would be great to get the old gang back together of people we used to play against in the WAFL,' Schleicher said. 'There is that state pride, there is nothing like putting your own colours on. But whatever it looks like, I'll put my hand up.' Carlton captain Abbie McKay said she would jump at the chance to play for Victoria or Australia. 'It would be awesome,' McKay said. 'I played one year for Vic Metro [at under-18 level] and it would be an honour to do it again.' Queensland could also field a strong side considering Brisbane Lions are a perennial contender and the Gold Coast are producing a host of talented players. 'There is that much talent that Queensland could have our own team – I'd probably say Queensland, South Australia and Victoria could all give it a red-hot crack,' Hawthorn captain Emily Bates said. The standard The AFLW played a State of Origin game in September 2017, when a Debbie Lee-coached Victoria thumped the Allies by 97 points at Marvel Stadium. Daisy Pearce, Ellie Blackburn and Jasmine Garner were among the stars for the Vics. Schleicher was adamant such a result wouldn't be repeated. 'Hey, hey, hey, you are talking to a WA girl here – of course not,' Schleicher exclaimed. Bates was a part of the Allies team in 2017. 'We got absolutely pumped, so that wasn't a great memory,' she recalled. 'But I think it would be great for the game and showcase the best talent available, I'm keen to see it happen again.' Richmond captain Katie Brennan was also on that Allies side and said the talent is far better than in 2017. 'The talent from all the different states is extraordinary now,' Bates said. 'I'm a Queenslander, born and bred, and that talent pathway has gone from strength to strength. There would be more competitive balance out there and it would be an awesome sight to see.' Molloy was more pragmatic about the format. 'The under-18s is where we display our state talent. I would take a more holistic view and have the Allies playing Victoria as Victoria is like the footy capital,' she said. The timing The league's continued expansion is written into the CBA – with the current 18-team competition only playing for 12 rounds plus finals. While Origin would be a way to get more games in the calendar, the same issues that plague discussions of the return of the competition for the men's game would be problematic for the women. Playing a series on the eve of the season could see star players injured ahead of their club campaigns; playing at the end or in the off-season would interrupt their breaks. Playing representative football in the middle of the regular season – for example, making the game a showcase event on AFL grand final day or eve – is also likely to be unpopular with clubs. 'The only trouble [in 2017] was the injuries that came from the game, so that would be a risk. But I think we should do it,' Bates said. 'Timing is tricky. Girls often travel in the off-season and whatnot, I think the perfect time would be straight after the season when you still have your match fitness.' Molloy ruled out a mid-season Origin. 'I don't think fixturing it during the season is appropriate. We want to win the premiership, every team wants to win the premiership, so you don't want to take away from that journey.'
Canberra Times
11 hours ago
- Canberra Times
Svitolina blames bettors for hateful online abuse
Earlier this year, British player Katie Boulter said she had received death threats during the French Open targeting her and her family, while the WTA and ITF called on betting companies to do more to stem the flood of online abuse players face on social media.
The Advertiser
21 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Sleapy's Day: the man, the charity and Souths' 115-year first
The South Newcastle Lions have been around since 1910, but they're about to achieve a 115-year first. The Lions will wear a blue jersey for the first time when they play the Maitland Pickers on Saturday, a rare deviation from their traditional red and white. The players will don a specially-designed kit for Sleapy's Day, the annual match-day fundraiser run by Souths legend Peter Sleap and his foundation of the same name. The jerseys feature photos of three late cancer sufferers. "Blue is a calming colour, so it's something we thought of to support people in cancer adversity," Sleap said. "We've got three people on the jerseys this year; Ash Smith, Stephen Gee and Hayden Moth. "Blue is a colour that we sat down and went through, and thought 'it's a little bit crazy [for Souths]', but they look great. "We try to change the colours every year. One year we had yellow, another pink for breast cancer and this year is blue. "Each year we try and change the colour so it's a special jersey for the players, and then we go back and auction them at the club. "Hopefully we get forty-to-fifty thousand [dollars] when we auction the Souths and Maitland jerseys." Since 2010, Sleapy's Day has raised tens of thousands of dollars each year to support those battling cancer. It's grown from a one-off event Sleap launched a year after battling throat cancer himself, to a foundation on track to help more than 200 people this year. "Fifteen years ago we used to help one or two people," Sleap said. "It's come a long way. "A lot of hard work, but very rewarding ... who'd have thought we'd still be doing it 15 years later." Sleap and his wife Robynn, who has battled cancer herself in the past year, got the fundraising day up and running but in 2019 the Sleapy's Foundation was formed to formalise the charity work. Several events are held throughout the year, but Sleapy's Day at Souths' home ground of Townson Oval in Merewether remains the main fundraiser. "We're in the process of building a peadiatric-care unit courtyard up at the new hospital," Sleap said. "That's been a significant job for us, raising separate funds for that. "The funds on Sleapy's Day goes back to our core business, which is helping people in the community doing it tough with cancer adversity. "It's been really busy. At the moment we're getting an applicant every second day. "We're on target to help over 200 families this year alone, in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley community. "And that's the great thing about the charity, the money stays local." The foundation offers support in a range of ways, sometimes as simple funding travel costs for medical appointments. Requests for help can be made via the website. Tickets to the popular Newcastle Rugby League match day cost $100, the same price they were in 2010, and include food and drinks. "We're the only organisation in the world that never changes the price," Sleap said. "Just think, we helped a family from the country that couldn't put fuel in the car to get down to the hospital. If you can't be here, buy a virtual ticket or some raffle tickets online." Placed sixth in the men's first-grade competition, level on 18 points with fifth-placed Wests, Souths have plenty to play for against league leaders Maitland, who meet Northern Hawks on Wednesday night. Souths only have three games left to play, and may need to win all of them to ensure a spot in the top five. Wests and Central, who are sixth and also on 18 points, have a game in hand on Souths. "A very hard run home, but 'Bobcat' will definitely have them up for the game," Sleap said, referring to Souths coach Andrew Ryan. "We haven't beaten Maitland on a Sleapy's Day, but to be the best, you have to beat the best ... and we just have to match their intensity." The first of four matches kicks off at 10.15am. First grade is at 3pm. Inspecting Townson Oval on Tuesday, Sleap was confident the ground would be in reasonable shape. "The rain scared us a bit but sunshine for the next few days ... we're definitely going ahead," he said. In other men's first-grade games this weekend, all at 3pm on Sunday, Lakes host Wests, Central travel to The Entrance, Macquarie welcome Kurri Kurri and Wyong are at home to Cessnock. POINTS TABLE: Maitland (23), Wyong (21), Cessnock, The Entrance (20), Wests, Souths, Central (18), Kurri (16), Macquarie (12), Lakes (10), Northern (2). The South Newcastle Lions have been around since 1910, but they're about to achieve a 115-year first. The Lions will wear a blue jersey for the first time when they play the Maitland Pickers on Saturday, a rare deviation from their traditional red and white. The players will don a specially-designed kit for Sleapy's Day, the annual match-day fundraiser run by Souths legend Peter Sleap and his foundation of the same name. The jerseys feature photos of three late cancer sufferers. "Blue is a calming colour, so it's something we thought of to support people in cancer adversity," Sleap said. "We've got three people on the jerseys this year; Ash Smith, Stephen Gee and Hayden Moth. "Blue is a colour that we sat down and went through, and thought 'it's a little bit crazy [for Souths]', but they look great. "We try to change the colours every year. One year we had yellow, another pink for breast cancer and this year is blue. "Each year we try and change the colour so it's a special jersey for the players, and then we go back and auction them at the club. "Hopefully we get forty-to-fifty thousand [dollars] when we auction the Souths and Maitland jerseys." Since 2010, Sleapy's Day has raised tens of thousands of dollars each year to support those battling cancer. It's grown from a one-off event Sleap launched a year after battling throat cancer himself, to a foundation on track to help more than 200 people this year. "Fifteen years ago we used to help one or two people," Sleap said. "It's come a long way. "A lot of hard work, but very rewarding ... who'd have thought we'd still be doing it 15 years later." Sleap and his wife Robynn, who has battled cancer herself in the past year, got the fundraising day up and running but in 2019 the Sleapy's Foundation was formed to formalise the charity work. Several events are held throughout the year, but Sleapy's Day at Souths' home ground of Townson Oval in Merewether remains the main fundraiser. "We're in the process of building a peadiatric-care unit courtyard up at the new hospital," Sleap said. "That's been a significant job for us, raising separate funds for that. "The funds on Sleapy's Day goes back to our core business, which is helping people in the community doing it tough with cancer adversity. "It's been really busy. At the moment we're getting an applicant every second day. "We're on target to help over 200 families this year alone, in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley community. "And that's the great thing about the charity, the money stays local." The foundation offers support in a range of ways, sometimes as simple funding travel costs for medical appointments. Requests for help can be made via the website. Tickets to the popular Newcastle Rugby League match day cost $100, the same price they were in 2010, and include food and drinks. "We're the only organisation in the world that never changes the price," Sleap said. "Just think, we helped a family from the country that couldn't put fuel in the car to get down to the hospital. If you can't be here, buy a virtual ticket or some raffle tickets online." Placed sixth in the men's first-grade competition, level on 18 points with fifth-placed Wests, Souths have plenty to play for against league leaders Maitland, who meet Northern Hawks on Wednesday night. Souths only have three games left to play, and may need to win all of them to ensure a spot in the top five. Wests and Central, who are sixth and also on 18 points, have a game in hand on Souths. "A very hard run home, but 'Bobcat' will definitely have them up for the game," Sleap said, referring to Souths coach Andrew Ryan. "We haven't beaten Maitland on a Sleapy's Day, but to be the best, you have to beat the best ... and we just have to match their intensity." The first of four matches kicks off at 10.15am. First grade is at 3pm. Inspecting Townson Oval on Tuesday, Sleap was confident the ground would be in reasonable shape. "The rain scared us a bit but sunshine for the next few days ... we're definitely going ahead," he said. In other men's first-grade games this weekend, all at 3pm on Sunday, Lakes host Wests, Central travel to The Entrance, Macquarie welcome Kurri Kurri and Wyong are at home to Cessnock. POINTS TABLE: Maitland (23), Wyong (21), Cessnock, The Entrance (20), Wests, Souths, Central (18), Kurri (16), Macquarie (12), Lakes (10), Northern (2). The South Newcastle Lions have been around since 1910, but they're about to achieve a 115-year first. The Lions will wear a blue jersey for the first time when they play the Maitland Pickers on Saturday, a rare deviation from their traditional red and white. The players will don a specially-designed kit for Sleapy's Day, the annual match-day fundraiser run by Souths legend Peter Sleap and his foundation of the same name. The jerseys feature photos of three late cancer sufferers. "Blue is a calming colour, so it's something we thought of to support people in cancer adversity," Sleap said. "We've got three people on the jerseys this year; Ash Smith, Stephen Gee and Hayden Moth. "Blue is a colour that we sat down and went through, and thought 'it's a little bit crazy [for Souths]', but they look great. "We try to change the colours every year. One year we had yellow, another pink for breast cancer and this year is blue. "Each year we try and change the colour so it's a special jersey for the players, and then we go back and auction them at the club. "Hopefully we get forty-to-fifty thousand [dollars] when we auction the Souths and Maitland jerseys." Since 2010, Sleapy's Day has raised tens of thousands of dollars each year to support those battling cancer. It's grown from a one-off event Sleap launched a year after battling throat cancer himself, to a foundation on track to help more than 200 people this year. "Fifteen years ago we used to help one or two people," Sleap said. "It's come a long way. "A lot of hard work, but very rewarding ... who'd have thought we'd still be doing it 15 years later." Sleap and his wife Robynn, who has battled cancer herself in the past year, got the fundraising day up and running but in 2019 the Sleapy's Foundation was formed to formalise the charity work. Several events are held throughout the year, but Sleapy's Day at Souths' home ground of Townson Oval in Merewether remains the main fundraiser. "We're in the process of building a peadiatric-care unit courtyard up at the new hospital," Sleap said. "That's been a significant job for us, raising separate funds for that. "The funds on Sleapy's Day goes back to our core business, which is helping people in the community doing it tough with cancer adversity. "It's been really busy. At the moment we're getting an applicant every second day. "We're on target to help over 200 families this year alone, in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley community. "And that's the great thing about the charity, the money stays local." The foundation offers support in a range of ways, sometimes as simple funding travel costs for medical appointments. Requests for help can be made via the website. Tickets to the popular Newcastle Rugby League match day cost $100, the same price they were in 2010, and include food and drinks. "We're the only organisation in the world that never changes the price," Sleap said. "Just think, we helped a family from the country that couldn't put fuel in the car to get down to the hospital. If you can't be here, buy a virtual ticket or some raffle tickets online." Placed sixth in the men's first-grade competition, level on 18 points with fifth-placed Wests, Souths have plenty to play for against league leaders Maitland, who meet Northern Hawks on Wednesday night. Souths only have three games left to play, and may need to win all of them to ensure a spot in the top five. Wests and Central, who are sixth and also on 18 points, have a game in hand on Souths. "A very hard run home, but 'Bobcat' will definitely have them up for the game," Sleap said, referring to Souths coach Andrew Ryan. "We haven't beaten Maitland on a Sleapy's Day, but to be the best, you have to beat the best ... and we just have to match their intensity." The first of four matches kicks off at 10.15am. First grade is at 3pm. Inspecting Townson Oval on Tuesday, Sleap was confident the ground would be in reasonable shape. "The rain scared us a bit but sunshine for the next few days ... we're definitely going ahead," he said. In other men's first-grade games this weekend, all at 3pm on Sunday, Lakes host Wests, Central travel to The Entrance, Macquarie welcome Kurri Kurri and Wyong are at home to Cessnock. POINTS TABLE: Maitland (23), Wyong (21), Cessnock, The Entrance (20), Wests, Souths, Central (18), Kurri (16), Macquarie (12), Lakes (10), Northern (2). The South Newcastle Lions have been around since 1910, but they're about to achieve a 115-year first. The Lions will wear a blue jersey for the first time when they play the Maitland Pickers on Saturday, a rare deviation from their traditional red and white. The players will don a specially-designed kit for Sleapy's Day, the annual match-day fundraiser run by Souths legend Peter Sleap and his foundation of the same name. The jerseys feature photos of three late cancer sufferers. "Blue is a calming colour, so it's something we thought of to support people in cancer adversity," Sleap said. "We've got three people on the jerseys this year; Ash Smith, Stephen Gee and Hayden Moth. "Blue is a colour that we sat down and went through, and thought 'it's a little bit crazy [for Souths]', but they look great. "We try to change the colours every year. One year we had yellow, another pink for breast cancer and this year is blue. "Each year we try and change the colour so it's a special jersey for the players, and then we go back and auction them at the club. "Hopefully we get forty-to-fifty thousand [dollars] when we auction the Souths and Maitland jerseys." Since 2010, Sleapy's Day has raised tens of thousands of dollars each year to support those battling cancer. It's grown from a one-off event Sleap launched a year after battling throat cancer himself, to a foundation on track to help more than 200 people this year. "Fifteen years ago we used to help one or two people," Sleap said. "It's come a long way. "A lot of hard work, but very rewarding ... who'd have thought we'd still be doing it 15 years later." Sleap and his wife Robynn, who has battled cancer herself in the past year, got the fundraising day up and running but in 2019 the Sleapy's Foundation was formed to formalise the charity work. Several events are held throughout the year, but Sleapy's Day at Souths' home ground of Townson Oval in Merewether remains the main fundraiser. "We're in the process of building a peadiatric-care unit courtyard up at the new hospital," Sleap said. "That's been a significant job for us, raising separate funds for that. "The funds on Sleapy's Day goes back to our core business, which is helping people in the community doing it tough with cancer adversity. "It's been really busy. At the moment we're getting an applicant every second day. "We're on target to help over 200 families this year alone, in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley community. "And that's the great thing about the charity, the money stays local." The foundation offers support in a range of ways, sometimes as simple funding travel costs for medical appointments. Requests for help can be made via the website. Tickets to the popular Newcastle Rugby League match day cost $100, the same price they were in 2010, and include food and drinks. "We're the only organisation in the world that never changes the price," Sleap said. "Just think, we helped a family from the country that couldn't put fuel in the car to get down to the hospital. If you can't be here, buy a virtual ticket or some raffle tickets online." Placed sixth in the men's first-grade competition, level on 18 points with fifth-placed Wests, Souths have plenty to play for against league leaders Maitland, who meet Northern Hawks on Wednesday night. Souths only have three games left to play, and may need to win all of them to ensure a spot in the top five. Wests and Central, who are sixth and also on 18 points, have a game in hand on Souths. "A very hard run home, but 'Bobcat' will definitely have them up for the game," Sleap said, referring to Souths coach Andrew Ryan. "We haven't beaten Maitland on a Sleapy's Day, but to be the best, you have to beat the best ... and we just have to match their intensity." The first of four matches kicks off at 10.15am. First grade is at 3pm. Inspecting Townson Oval on Tuesday, Sleap was confident the ground would be in reasonable shape. "The rain scared us a bit but sunshine for the next few days ... we're definitely going ahead," he said. In other men's first-grade games this weekend, all at 3pm on Sunday, Lakes host Wests, Central travel to The Entrance, Macquarie welcome Kurri Kurri and Wyong are at home to Cessnock. POINTS TABLE: Maitland (23), Wyong (21), Cessnock, The Entrance (20), Wests, Souths, Central (18), Kurri (16), Macquarie (12), Lakes (10), Northern (2).
