Latest news with #Canberra-born
Glasgow Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
I'm all in – Australia-born Sione Tuipulotu eager to show Lions commitment
Amid ongoing debate about the selection of foreign-born players, the Glasgow centre is set to line up against his native Australia during this summer's Lions tour. Melbourne-born Tuipulotu, who made his international debut in 2021, is among seven members of Andy Farrell's 38-man squad who hail from overseas. While five of those players are eligible for their adopted nations purely on residency rules, Tuipulotu qualified through ancestry. The 28-year-old's Greenock-born grandmother was at Murrayfield last autumn to see him score a try while leading Scotland to a 27-13 defeat of the Wallabies. 'I put so much on myself that I really wanted to be a Lion because I know how much it means to people over here,' said Tuipulotu, who initially feared his tour participation may be ruined by injury. 'I had gone all in with the stuff with Scotland and I just felt what better way to prove my allegiance to Scotland than go all in and try and make the Lions. That's why it meant so much to me. 'Genuinely early days you have that feeling of 'am I part of this?'. I always feel like talking about it is one thing but showing people how much it means to you in how you play (is another). 'When my gran came over before the Australia game, it allowed the public to put a face to the story and listen to my grandma and how much it meant to her. I think that gave eyes to the public that my story was authentic. 'I'm all in and I'm looking forward to showing how committed I am to playing for the Lions.' Tuipulotu is raring to go after returning from four months out with a pectoral issue during Glasgow's 13-5 defeat to Leinster on Saturday. He will be joined on tour by South Africa-born Scotland team-mates Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe and New Zealand-born Ireland trio Bundee Aki, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park. Canberra-born Ireland wing Mack Hansen, whose mother comes from Cork, will also be on the plane back to his homeland. 'I've been nothing but embraced by the Scottish public ever since I started playing for Scotland,' said Tuipulotu, who has 30 Test caps. 'There's always going to be a couple of people (who criticise), like there are for some of the Irish boys, but I take that in my stride because I don't blame those people either. Ireland's Australia-born wing Mack Hansen is one of seven members of the Lions squad who hail from overseas (Domenico Cippitelli/PA) 'I didn't grow up dreaming of playing for Scotland or the Lions, that's the truth. 'But this is where my path has led me and I'm all in for this Lions team and for Scotland and for Glasgow, and I genuinely feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. 'I just want to grab this opportunity because I'll never get it again, to go back to Australia, and play for the Lions.' Ireland wing Lowe lined up against the Lions for the Maori All Blacks during the 2017 series in New Zealand. The 32-year-old joined Leinster later that year and won the first of his 40 international caps in 2020. 'When you don't have the blood running through your veins, there's a little bit of that,' he replied when asked about his allegiance being questioned. 'When I was first selected for Ireland, all the people come out of the woodwork saying, 'how is this person representing Ireland?'. 'The rules were there. We've all done our time and we're fully embedded in the culture of Irish rugby.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nick Kyrgios lists lavish Sydney penthouse on the market for $1.8m - following shock split with long-time girlfriend Costeen Hatzi
Nick Kyrgios has put his lavish Sydney penthouse on the market just three years after purchasing it, following his shock split with long-time girlfriend Costeen Hatzi. The tennis champion, 30, listed the three-bedroom, two-bathroom Kensington apartment with a price guide of $1.8 million. He originally purchased the Anzac Parade home for $1.6 million in March 2022. The Canberra-born athlete reportedly used the penthouse as his full-time Sydney residence. His decision to sell comes amid personal changes, including his recent split with Hatzi, 26, a prominent figure in Sydney's social circles. The penthouse, situated atop the award-winning Capella building, boasts stunning district views extending to the Blue Mountains and city skyline. Its standout features include a large outdoor pool, private 24sqm rooftop terrace, and spacious interiors totalling approximately 174sqm. The property offers a variety of modern amenities, including full elevator access and double garage, and is equipped with ducted air-conditioning for year-round comfort. The penthouse also provides easy access to lush landscaped gardens with a heated outdoor pool, on-site minimart, sushi bar and beer garden. With property prices in Kensington experiencing a slight decline of 1.7% over the past year, the listing of Kyrgios' penthouse has drawn attention in Sydney's competitive real estate market. Earlier this month, Kyrgios' ex-girlfriend delivered a parting message to her tennis star ex after finally confirming the pair split. Rumours had been bubbling away over the past month the couple had broken up, with Kyrgios appearing to unfollow the social media star on Instagram. The tennis star sparked rumours they had secretly split after he removed her initials from his Instagram bio. Meanwhile, Hatzi shared multiple cryptic posts, uploading a TikTok in which she appeared to mouth the words: 'Who the f*** did I marry? So at this point in time, I have filed for divorce.' He originally purchased the Anzac Parade home for $1.6 million in March 2022 She then confirmed the pair ended things on good terms, wishing the best for her ex-partner. 'I'm loving my work and doing content every day,' she told The Herald Sun. 'We haven't spoken, relationships come to an end. I believe it's for the best. 'I hope he finds peace and happiness within himself. 'I definitely entered the relationship with pure intentions. I loved him, thought we had a great connection.' In recent weeks, Kyrgios appears to have been focusing on his own journey. He publishes pictures on social media of himself training, attending brand events and enjoying some downtime with friends. The pair began dating back in 2021. They appeared head over heels for each other following their first meeting - which took place after he messaged Hatzi on social media about a mirror she was selling. He went to her home to pick up the mirror but as she previously said: 'It was love at first sight.' The pair became official in January 2022 and moved in together, with Hatzi regularly seen following her beau around the world as he competed on the ATP Tour. After four years together, The Herald Sun revealed they split after a tournament in March, with Hatzi joking: 'Maybe I'll steer away from athletes.'
The National
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
Australia-born Sione Tuipulotu eager to show Lions commitment
Amid ongoing debate about the selection of foreign-born players, the Glasgow centre is set to line up against his native Australia during this summer's Lions tour. Melbourne-born Tuipulotu, who made his international debut in 2021, is among seven members of Andy Farrell's 38-man squad who hail from overseas. While five of those players are eligible for their adopted nations purely on residency rules, Tuipulotu qualified through ancestry. The 28-year-old's Greenock-born grandmother was at Murrayfield last autumn to see him score a try while leading Scotland to a 27-13 defeat of the Wallabies. 'I put so much on myself that I really wanted to be a Lion because I know how much it means to people over here,' said Tuipulotu, who initially feared his tour participation may be ruined by injury. 'I had gone all in with the stuff with Scotland and I just felt what better way to prove my allegiance to Scotland than go all in and try and make the Lions. That's why it meant so much to me. 'Genuinely early days you have that feeling of 'am I part of this?'. I always feel like talking about it is one thing but showing people how much it means to you in how you play (is another). 'When my gran came over before the Australia game, it allowed the public to put a face to the story and listen to my grandma and how much it meant to her. I think that gave eyes to the public that my story was authentic. 'I'm all in and I'm looking forward to showing how committed I am to playing for the Lions.' Tuipulotu is raring to go after returning from four months out with a pectoral issue during Glasgow's 13-5 defeat to Leinster on Saturday. He will be joined on tour by South Africa-born Scotland team-mates Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe and New Zealand-born Ireland trio Bundee Aki, James Lowe and Jamison Gibson-Park. Canberra-born Ireland wing Mack Hansen, whose mother comes from Cork, will also be on the plane back to his homeland. 'I've been nothing but embraced by the Scottish public ever since I started playing for Scotland,' said Tuipulotu, who has 30 Test caps. 'There's always going to be a couple of people (who criticise), like there are for some of the Irish boys, but I take that in my stride because I don't blame those people either. 'I didn't grow up dreaming of playing for Scotland or the Lions, that's the truth. 'But this is where my path has led me and I'm all in for this Lions team and for Scotland and for Glasgow, and I genuinely feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. 'I just want to grab this opportunity because I'll never get it again, to go back to Australia, and play for the Lions.' Ireland wing Lowe lined up against the Lions for the Maori All Blacks during the 2017 series in New Zealand. The 32-year-old joined Leinster later that year and won the first of his 40 international caps in 2020. 'When you don't have the blood running through your veins, there's a little bit of that,' he replied when asked about his allegiance being questioned. 'When I was first selected for Ireland, all the people come out of the woodwork saying, 'how is this person representing Ireland?'. 'The rules were there. We've all done our time and we're fully embedded in the culture of Irish rugby.'
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mack Hansen bawled after Lions announcement and explains the Faz factor
Mack Hansen admits he cried when he was announced as a British and Irish Lions player - after he tried to contact Andy Farrell in the build-up to put him out of his misery. The Connacht and Ireland star says he is a fan of the big reveal of the Lions squad but, as he waited to hear if he had made the cut for the trip to Australia, the suspense was too much to bear. Having grown impatient during the prolonged live TV coverage of the announcement from The O2 in London, Hansen went for a swim to cool off. "Then when I came back, they finally started reading the names," he told Tommy Bowe and Donncha O'Callaghan on their Offload podcast. "And then once my name was read out, I just started bawling crying straight away. It's one of the best feelings I've ever had in my entire life. "Tears were flowing, mate. Absolutely flowing. And I called my mum back straight away, and they were very much the same. Like, it was, yeah, incredible. "Genuinely, nobody has an idea. So many people since the announcement were like, 'surely they were given a heads-up'. "But we just don't know, and it could go either way. I mean, it just does make it that little bit more special. "I think it's really cool, and it's obviously very exciting. But at the same time, I just wanted to know. I would have loved a little message just saying, 'yeah', like a thumbs up going, you're in. And then you can actually enjoy it." Hansen explained that he messaged Aled Walters, who is Ireland's S&C coach and also on Farrell's Lions staff, the day before the announcement. "I messaged Aled to say 'put me out of my misery' but he didn't even open it. He sent me a thumbs up (after)," smiled the Canberra-born winger." Hansen even rang Farrell a couple of weeks previous to that. I had a few beers in a pub with Bundee (Aki) and was trying to call him," said the 26-year-old. "I thought it would be a great idea to ring Faz and a couple of the staff and have a chat to them. Faz didn't pick up, and in typical fashion, he didn't reply. I messaged him in the morning to say sorry for calling but he didn't message me back. "When I got his face tattooed on me, he opened the pic I sent and then didn't reply for like three hours. And then he comes back going, 'oh, mate, I love it, it's great'. And I was like, why didn't you just reply to me straight away then?". Hansen said he is often asked what makes Farrell such an effective head coach. "The best way to describe it is just that he just gets it. He just gets everything," he said. "Whether it's that you need a pat on the back or a bit of a lift, he can deliver that to you. But on the other hand if he thinks you're slacking off or something, like, he'll have no problem ripping you to shreds as well. "On the other hand, he knows the right time to have a piss up. He knows the right time to tell boys to take it easy. Like, he just seems to get it all right. He's on top of everything, essentially, and pretty impeccable."Unless you play under him, it's hard to explain, but he just gets it. He's someone you want to play for, plain and simple. I think you actually take for granted how much you really do get out of a good head coach, how much energy they can bring to you. "Some of the speeches he gives pre-game, they're like out of movies. So it's class having him at the helm. It's going to be so exciting now. "You just feed off the energy you get from him. I think that's been the main thing I've come to notice from it, especially when he wasn't here in this Six Nations. "You get some amount of energy off Faz's speeches or just him being around the place." Hansen is working his way back to full fitness after an ankle injury and has returned to running. "I'll be back," he stressed. "Yeah, unfortunately we're not playing any finals footy, which is perfect. "So I'll just be running and gymming pretty much for the next couple of weeks. There's a couple of guys that I think will be up for spots in the Irish tour as well, so I think there'll actually be a good few of us around training. I won't just be running on my own, kind of thing. "We'll get a bit of skills in and stuff like that, trying to stay sharp as we can."
Canberra Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Canberra Times
Pretty kitties hit Canberra catwalk at Thoroughbred Park
With the news that Cube, Canberra's last gay nightclub, has closed, you might be forgiven for thinking the city has finally lived up to the whole boring thing, but thank god for Smith's Alternative! There's a pretty full calendar most weeks, but you might want to check out Rufino on Saturday night. As the blurb goes, Rufino is more than just a pop artist: "He is his own landform, his own geo-political territory. He is The Gulf of Rufino." He's also the alter-ego of Canberra-born muso Pip Branson, and the show should therefore be heaps of fun, if only because his mission, on this night anyway, is to "make tropical punk disco great again". Rufino is playing at Smith's Alternative on Saturday night from 6pm.
