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The NSW Blues will have at least one more supporter this year after the side’s halfback Nathan Cleary revealed that his partner, Matildas star Mary Fowler, has switched allegiances.
Fowler, who is in the UK recovering from surgery on an injured knee, was born in Cairns.
Clearly told News Corp: “She reckons she is going for the Blues, so I think I have swung her.”


I’ve got 10 seconds
Stat of the day
67
The number of runs (from 90 balls) that Australian cricketer Cameron Green scored for the English county cricket team Gloucestershire to help them to a three-wicket victory over Kent. Green is returning from injury and will look to have a similar impact in the upcoming World Test Championship between South Africa and Australia - a one-off Test match which begins 11 June.

Cameron Green will be back in action for Australia’s Test side next month (Getty)
Quote of the day
“When I reflect now, I go, I've played 20 games of A-League in my AFLW off season, which is essentially twice the last AFLW season, which is crazy to think."
Central Coast Mariners star Sarah Rowe speaking to ABC Sport after winning the A-League Women’s Grand Final on Sunday against Melbourne Victory. Howe is also a winger for AFLW club Collingwood, whose preparations for the 2025 season began last week. Rowe will join the squad on Wednesday with the AFLW season set to begin in August.

Sarah Rowe is a talented multi-sport athlete (Getty)
Random fact of the day
Last week, two-time Olympian Nick Symmonds summited Mount Everest. In doing so, the 41-year-old American became the first person to have run a mile (1609 metres) in under four minutes and also have reached the top of Everest.

I’ve got 30 seconds
In case you missed it…
🏀 The WNBA is investigating alleged racist comments made by spectators towards Chicago Sky star Angel Reese during the side’s 93-58 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The incident reportedly happened when Reese confronted Caitlin Clark after she was fouled by the Fever star. The WNBA said on Monday: "The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms -- they have no place in our league or in society."

Clark (centre) fouls Reese (right) (Getty)
🏐 After six rounds of Super Netball, the NSW Swifts remain the only undefeated team in the competition. On Sunday, the Swifts beat crosstown rivals the Giants 82-69 and further cemented their status as the league leaders. Next week, the Swifts will play the Sunshine Coast Lightning in what is being touted as a grand final preview. The Lightning are second on the ladder with four wins from six matches and will be hoping to build off their 62-50 win against the Melbourne Vixens to upset the Swifts.

The Swifts’ Grace Nweke has had a big impact this season (Getty)
🏉 NRL State of Origin kicks off next Wednesday and will see four potential debutants after NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley and Qld Maroons coach Billy Slater named their respective squads yesterday. The Blues' sole debutant is Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs forward Max King, who will start on the bench. Meanwhile, the Maroons squad features three debutants in the Roosters' Robert Toia, the Titans’ Beau Fermor, and the Storm’s Trent Loeiro.

Max King will be NSW’s sole debutant for Game 1 (Getty)

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Bogut in action for the Boomers (Getty)
Andrew Bogut becomes ninth Australian inducted into FIBA Hall of Fame
Former Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut has been inducted into the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame. Bogut is the ninth Australian to receive the honour.
Bogut’s career
Bogut became the first Australian to be picked first overall in the NBA Draft when the Milwaukee Bucks selected him in 2005.
The 213cm centre spent 14 years in the NBA and played 682 games across five teams (the Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers). He won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2015.
Bogut played for Australia’s men’s basketball team, The Boomers, from 2004 to 2019, participating in three Olympic Games.
The 40-year-old is still involved with basketball and will serve as an Assistant Coach for the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) for the 2025-26 season.
What they said
When asked about a career highlight, Bogut said: "I think (the career highlight) was beating the USA in Melbourne [in 2019, which was the first time the Boomers had beaten the US since it first played the side in 1964, and Team USA’s first loss in a major tournament or exhibition for 13 years previous]. It was a big deal for us, you know, even though it was a friendly game, from never beating the US, to do it on home soil in my home city, in front of what is an all-time record crowd for basketball in Australia.”

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I’ve got 2 minutes

Gary Lineker has worked at the BBC for over 25 years (Getty)
Gary Lineker to leave longtime commentary role following social media post
Former English football player Gary Lineker will leave his role as a BBC commentator and presenter after sharing an Instagram post about Zionism that included an image of a rat.
Context
Lineker is a prominent commentator who, since 1999, has been the presenter of the BBC’s Match of the Day, a Sunday afternoon program that runs through highlights from the weekend’s English Premier League matches. Lineker is reportedly one of the BBC’s highest-paid presenters. He was also set to perform duties for the BBC through next year’s FA Cup (a domestic English football tournament) and the 2026 men’s World Cup.
What happened
Last week, Lineker shared a post on his Instagram from a group called Palestine Lobby. The video was titled ‘Zionism explained in two minutes’ and featured an emoji of a rat. Rats have historically been used to represent Jewish people in antisemitic propaganda, including in Nazi Germany.
The post was removed from his Instagram, and Lineker subsequently apologised, saying, “I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic”. He added: “However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
The BBC confirmed in a statement on Monday that Lineker’s final appearance on the broadcaster would be for this Sunday’s edition of Match of the Day.
Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, said: “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season. Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made.”
Lineker had already planned to finish with Match of the Day this season but was set to continue in his duties as a BBC presenter through next season’s FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup.
The BBC’s position
The BBC, or British Broadcasting Corporation, is a taxpayer-funded broadcaster that is legally bound to impartiality. A part of its editorial guidelines states that “it is not normally appropriate for them (BBC presenters) to present or write personal view content on public policy, matters of political or industrial controversy, or ‘controversial subjects’ in any area.”
Lineker has previously been accused of breaching the BBC’s editorial standards. In 2023, he was suspended for a post that compared a British immigration policy to Nazi Germany. The suspension only lasted a week, with the BBC bringing him back after his colleagues boycotted the broadcaster's football coverage in protest.

Looking forward… (All times are AEST)
NBA Playoffs
(Conference Finals)
Who: Minnesota Timberwolves v OKC Thunder (Game 1)
Time: 10:30am tomorrow
Where to watch: Kayo, Foxtel, NBA League Pass
NHL Playoffs
(Conference Finals)
Who: Florida Panthers v Carolina Hurricanes (Game 1)
Time: 10:00am tomorrow
Where to watch: Kayo, Foxtel



