Tonight marks 155 years to the day since the first international rugby match was played.

Scotland beat England in Edinburgh on 27 March 1871.

Tonight, Canberra hosts two rugby union matches of its own. The Wallaroos open their 2026 international season against Fijiana at 4:55pm (AEDT), before the Brumbies take on the Waratahs at 7:35pm in a highly anticipated Super Rugby derby.

Not a bad way to mark the anniversary.

The Sydney Roosters beat the Manly Sea Eagles 33-16 at Brookvale Oval on Thursday night, with halfback Daly Cherry-Evans returning to face his former club for the first time. Manly started strongly with captain Tom Trbojevic scoring a try in the opening minute of the match, but the Roosters eventually wore the home side down. Cherry-Evans was booed by Manly fans throughout, but played his part as the Roosters scored three tries in five minutes midway through the second half to seal the result. The Sea Eagles have now lost their opening three games for the first time since 2004.

The Geelong Cats extended their unbeaten run at home against Adelaide to 15 matches, grinding out an eight-point win at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night in wet conditions. Jack Martin starred for the Cats with three goals, while the Crows' attacking pair of Izak Rankine and Josh Rachele were unable to turn their opportunities into enough scoreboard pressure. Geelong have not lost to Adelaide at their home ground since 2003. Tonight, Collingwood takes on GWS at Marvel Stadium.

Willie Peters is set to become the inaugural coach of the PNG Chiefs, the NRL's 19th team, set to enter the competition in 2028. The 47-year-old has been coaching Hull KR in England's Super League, winning the 2025 premiership and leading the club to a World Club Challenge win over the Brisbane Broncos in February. Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys confirmed Peters was the preferred candidate, with only a contract breakdown standing between him and the role.

A concussion class action against the AFL has grown to more than 100 former players, according to The Age, with 10 additional clubs now named as defendants alongside Geelong and the AFL. The new filing names Carlton, Fremantle, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Melbourne, Richmond, Collingwood, Essendon, North Melbourne, and Footscray (now the Western Bulldogs). Victorian Supreme Court Justice Andrew Keogh has suggested 31 May next year as a possible trial date.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday that transgender women will be banned from competing in female category events at the Olympic Games. 

This will take effect at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The first and only transgender woman to compete at the Olympics was New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard in Tokyo in 2021.

All athletes who want to compete in a female category event at an IOC event must now pass a one-time SRY gene screening. The SRY gene is a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that is usually present in males.  

If the gene is present, an athlete is ineligible for the female category. If it is absent, they are permanently cleared and will never need to be tested again.

The test is conducted via saliva, cheek swab, or blood sample. There are narrow exceptions for athletes with certain medical conditions affecting sex development.  The IOC has encouraged governing bodies for Olympic sports to adopt the policy. 

The policy does not apply to grassroots or recreational sport.

OC president Kirsty Coventry, who took over in June last year, oversaw a review of scientific, medical, and legal developments that concluded this month. The review drew on experts across sports science, endocrinology (hormones), transgender medicine, and ethics. It concluded that being assigned male at birth “provides a performance advantage across all sports relying on strength, power, and endurance.”

Coventry said: “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So it’s absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”

Several major federations had already implemented their own similar policies before the IOC, including World Rugby in 2020, World Aquatics in 2022, and World Athletics in 2023.

Pride Cup, an Australian organisation that promotes LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport, has criticised the announcement. 

CEO Hayley Conway said: “There is no scientific standard for defining ‘biological sex’, it cannot be reduced to a single marker. The proposed tests are completely arbitrary”.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World), which represents more than 2,000 organisations globally, said the policy would put all women at risk. 

Executive Director Julia Ehrt said: “Invasive policing of women’s bodies should concern everyone as it reinforces harmful stereotypes and exposes all women and LGBTI athletes to further harassment and scrutiny.”

Talking points: The Socceroos host Cameroon in Sydney tonight in the first of two home friendlies ahead of the FIFA World Cup in June. Australia will be looking for a win after three straight losses. Coach Tony Popovic has made 12 changes to the squad that played in November, including first call-ups for Lucas Herrington, Ante Suto, and Deni Juric. With the World Cup just months away, spots in the final 26-player squad are up for grabs. Meanwhile, Cameroon arrive in rebuilding mode after failing to qualify for the World Cup. Despite having 12 potential debutants and being ranked 44th in the world, Cameroon are not to be underestimated, with nine players from the top leagues of England, France, and Germany. The second international friendly of this window will see the Socceroos take on Curaçao on 31 March.

How to watch: Kick-off is tonight at 8:10pm. You can watch the match on Channel 10 and Paramount+.

Talking points: The Sydney Kings lead the best-of-five NBL Championship Series 1-0 after a 44-point win at home last Saturday. The result marked the highest NBL Championship margin in history and extended the Kings' win streak to 14 matches. Tonight the series shifts to Adelaide, where the 36ers will look to lean on their home crowd to upset the visitors and level the series. The 36ers will need league MVP Bryce Cotton, held to just 10 points in Game 1, to step up. A loss tonight for the 36ers would put the Kings within one win of the NBL title with Game 3 returning to Sydney on Sunday.

How to watch: Game 2 tips off tonight at 7:30pm. You can watch it on ESPN (via Disney+, Kayo, and Foxtel) or Channel 10.

Talking points: The Wallaroos open their 2026 season tonight in Canberra against Fijiana with the Vuvale Bowl on the line. It is a new era for the Wallaroos program after coach Jo Yapp departed following last year's World Cup quarter-final exit. Former assistant Sam Needs has stepped up as interim head coach. For the match against Fiji, Neads has named six potential debutants, including Western Force halfback Nicole Ledington and Sevens convert Sidney Taylor, who starts in the centres. The Wallaroos are unbeaten in four matches against Fijiana and will look to extend that record this evening. 

How to watch: Kick-off is at 4:55pm tonight. You can watch it on Stan Sport and the Nine Network.

Mocha lovers, meet your new training partner

Dare Protein Mocha keeps the smooth choc-y taste you already love, but adds a solid 30–45g of protein with no added sugar. Perfect for pre-gym fuel, post-training recovery, or staying full and focused between work, sport, and everything else on your schedule.

It’s your usual iced mocha – just with serious protein power behind it. Available now in 500ml and 750ml at Coles and other retailers nationwide.

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.