Spin-bowler Nathan Lyon has been the leader of the victory song of the Australian Test cricket team since 2013 when the honour was bestowed upon him by the song’s previous leader, Michael Hussey.

Now, Lyon has passed the honour onto wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Lyon said leading the song, which is titled ‘Under the Southern Cross I Stand’, had been one of the highlights of his career.

He added: “I've been thinking about it for a while now, but this definitely doesn't mean I'm retiring anytime soon.”

12%
The proportion of Super Netball players who feel comfortable raising concerns with the sport’s national governing body, Netball Australia, according to an anonymous survey of players by the Australian Netball Players’ Association. Almost one-third of the players who had raised concerns with the governing body felt no action was taken, or they had been dismissed. Notable incidents in the past couple of years that may have contributed to the feelings of the players include a pay dispute in 2023 and an investigation, which was dismissed last year, into player Remi Kamo’s complaints about the culture at the Queensland Firebirds.

"It was an incredible opportunity, but I also didn't think I could do it justice. That's why I didn't want to commit to it.”
Former rugby league player turned commentator Brad Fittler speaking to radio station 2GB about his decision to withdraw from the race to be the next coach of the Kangaroos, Australia’s men’s rugby league team. Fittler cited his television commitments as the reason he couldn’t fill the role. The Australian Rugby League Commission is looking for a replacement after it was announced that Mal Meninga will leave the role to coach the NRL’s newest team, the Perth Bears. Former Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith is now the frontrunner for the role. 

The earliest record of modern athletics competition in Australia is from the year 1810. A man by the name of Dicky Dowling won a sprint race over 50 yards (45.72 metres) in Sydney’s Hyde Park.

⚽ The FIFA Club World Cup saw two stunning upsets in the Round of 16 this morning, with Inter Milan and defending champions Manchester City both eliminated from the tournament. Champions League finalists Inter Milan were defeated 2-0 by Brazilian football club Fluminense, and Manchester City were beaten 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller by Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Fluminense will meet Al-Hilal in the quarter-final. 

🏟️ An independent turf consultant is being sent to inspect the playing surface at the Sydney Cricket Ground after Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir expressed concerns about the safety of his players ahead of Sunday’s match against the Sydney Swans. Longmuir suggested that the ground looked unsafe for players after Friday night’s clash between the Swans and the Western Bulldogs, which saw several players slip over unexpectedly. SCG curator Adam Lewis said: "I'm pretty confident it'll be fine because the next game is going to be a day game, and hopefully the players wear studs instead of their blades.”

🏀 Australia’s men’s under-19 basketball team, also known as the Emus, won its second match at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup, beating Cameroon 101-96 in an overtime thriller. Six points behind with less than a minute remaining in regular time, the Aussies were given a window of opportunity when Cameroon’s Amadou Seini dunked the ball into his own team’s net and gifted the Aussies two points. Australia are in arguably the toughest group in the tournament alongside the U.S. and France. The Emus lost their opening match to the U.S. and will play France for a place in the knockout stages early tomorrow morning (AEST). 

34% of Australians say they currently habit stack - and it’s easy to see why

By linking a new habit to something you already do each day, like brushing your teeth or making your morning coffee, it becomes a natural part of your routine.

That’s exactly what makes Blackmores Rapi-Melts range so convenient.

Whether it’s the Iron, Immune, Energy B12, or Nails, Hair & Skin melt, you can take it on the go - no water, no pills, no hassle.

Just a quick, tasty step in your day that supports your health without slowing you down.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

With just over a week until the State of Origin series decider is played in Sydney, both teams have been named. Here’s what you need to know. 

Blues coach Laurie Daley named an unchanged lineup from the one that lost 26-24 to the Maroons in game two. Winger Brian To’o avoided suspension after a high tackle in Penrith’s victory over the Bulldogs on Friday night, and halfback Jarome Luai has been cleared to play after he was hospitalised last week with a staph infection. Meanwhile, Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz has been named as the 18th man. 

Maroons coach Billy Slater has made two changes to his starting lineup. The Brisbane Broncos’ Gehamat Shibasaki will start in the centres after earning his first Origin call-up. The 26-year-old debuted in 2018 and has only played 45 matches in the NRL, but has had a stellar season with the Broncos, scoring 12 tries in 15 matches.

Shibasaki is being brought in after fullback Kalyn Ponga was ruled out with a foot injury. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will move from the wing to fullback, and Valentine Holmes will shift out of the centres and onto the wing. 

Veteran prop Josh Papali’i has also been recalled to the side after retiring from representative football in 2022. It will be Papali’i’s 24th appearance for the Maroons. The 33-year-old has played a leading role in the Canberra Raiders' season so far, which sees the side sitting on top of the ladder.

Shibasaki said: "I didn't have Billy's number saved so I answered it. It was a wholesome conversation and one I dreamed of as a kid. I am trying to soak it all in and focus on each day. My family is so happy and there's been a lot of happy tears.”

Enjoying the newsletter?

If you are, why not share the love with your friends? We’d love your help in getting the word out there.

Send them this link to sign up.

Day one at Wimbledon saw plenty of drama as temperatures soared, seeded players were upset, and the first Wimbledon tournament in its 148-year history without human line judges commenced. 

Eight Australians - four men and four women - took to the court on day one of the tournament. Jordan Thompson emerged as the only Aussie into the second round so far. Despite battling a back injury in the lead-up, Thompson came back from two sets down to beat the Czech Republic’s Vit Kiprova (3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1). It marks the third year in a row that the 31-year-old has come back from two sets down to win his opening round match at Wimbledon. 

Meanwhile, 20th seed Alexei Popyrin was on the wrong end of one of the day’s biggest upsets, losing to British world # 461 Arthur Fery in four sets (6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4). The other men to lose their opening round matches were James Duckworth and Christopher O’Connell. 

On the women’s side, Ajla Tomljanovic, who has made the quarter-finals twice at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2022, lost in three sets to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (4-6, 6-3, 6-2). Kimberly Birrell, Olivia Gadecki, and Talia Gibson also saw their 2025 Wimbledon campaigns end on the first Monday. 

On day two, nine Australians will play for a spot in the second round. Fans will have particularly high hopes for 11th seed Alex de Minaur on the men’s side and recent Eastbourne Open champion Maya Joint on the women’s side. De Minaur will play Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena and Joint is up against 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova. 

Tournament favourite Carlos Alcaraz was pushed to the brink in the first match on centre court, beating 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini in five sets (7-5, 6-7, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1). The two-time defending champion said: “I could feel today that I was really nervous at the beginning.”

Spanish ninth seed Paula Badosa became the highest-seeded woman to exit the tournament so far after she was beaten by unseeded British player Katie Boulter in three sets. 

Notable exits from the men’s draw included eighth seed Holger Rune, who was defeated by unseeded Chilean Nicolás Jarry, and ninth seed Daniil Medvedev, who lost to France’s Benjamin Bonzi. 

A number of matches were suspended and will continue tomorrow because of the 11:00pm curfew at the tournament. 

Wimbledon has joined the Australian Open and U.S. Open in its introduction of electronic line calling. The French Open remains the only Grand Slam tournament to employ line judges. Before this year, Wimbledon would employ 300 people as line judges. About 80 of those will remain as ‘match assistants’ used for duties such as escorting players to and from the court or filling in if the technology happens to fail. 

The technology also means that players can no longer challenge line calls. The system uses AI to analyse footage from 18 cameras around the court to determine whether or not the ball went in. The voices used to make the calls are recordings of staff from the All England Club, the tennis club where Wimbledon is played. 

Monday at Wimbledon was the hottest opening day of the tournament on record, with temperatures reaching 32.3 °C. The previous record was 29.3 °C, set in 2001. Chief Executive of the All England Club, Sally Bolton, said: "The players are used to competing in these sorts of temperatures. There is a heat rule available for them, which we'll implement if necessary."