Some life advisors (whether qualified or not) warn of the dangers of turning fun into work.

Athletes are especially susceptible to this trap given they often make the sport they love a full-time job.

But how about turning your full-time job into a sport?

Last weekend, the Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators held a grave-digging competition with 19 pairs of grave-diggers competing. Róbert Nagy and László Kiss won the competition, digging three graves of varying depth in a time of 1 hour and 21 minutes.

The pair took home a cash prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints (around $AU900).

All in a day’s work!

P.S. Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz are currently locked in a quarter-final battle at the U.S. Open, with the American up two sets to one. Get the tennis on!

31
The number of rugby league players who diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a study of 51 brains, according to the ABC. The finding comes from a study at the Australian Sports Brain Bank, and was revealed at the International Sports Concussion Conference on Tuesday. CTE can only be diagnosed after death.

“I’m speechless right now because I was pushing myself to the limit. In the third set I honestly thought that’s it, the match is over.”
Aryna Sabalenka after overcoming a 4-2 deficit in the deciding set of the U.S. Open quarterfinal to beat world No.6 Linda Nosková (7-6, 3-6, 7-6). The world No.1 now heads to a semifinal against American third seed Jessica Pegula on Friday morning (AEST).

In ten-pin bowling, there are five annual major tournaments held by the Professional Bowling Association (PBA), the sport’s premier professional tour. Australian Jason Belmonte holds the all-time record for major titles with 15.

⚽ Real Madrid opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 win over Inter, led by last season’s top scorer Kylian Mbappé. The forward struck in the 14th minute to start Madrid’s night, before Federico Valverde added a second nine minutes later. Inter pulled one back late, but Thibaut Courtois’ saves on his 100th league appearance kept Madrid ahead.

🏉 The race for the NRL’s 20th licence has shifted, with The Australian reporting a secret Māori bid in Hamilton. Tainui Group Holdings, which manages a $NZ2.1 billion ($AU1.7 billion) portfolio, has inspected North Queensland’s stadium as part of its push for a Hamilton franchise, with a view to building a similar venue there. At the same time, the Ipswich Jets have been openly campaigning for promotion to the NRL, arguing the league should protect Brisbane’s “western corridor” as the AFL expands there. Both bids remain in contention as the Australian Rugby League Commission weighs a fifth Queensland team against a second New Zealand club. TDA has asked the NRL and Tainui Holdings for comment.

🏏 The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has responded to Cricket Australia’s (CA) approval of partial privatisation of the Big Bash League (BBL). In a media release, ACA said the announcement “does not alter the key requirements that must be satisfied before any sale can proceed,” adding that a new Memorandum of Understanding and player contracting arrangements must be “negotiated and agreed.” Private companies could buy minority stakes of up to 49% in BBL teams, gaining profit shares and voting rights. CA has begun a sales process for the Melbourne Renegades, with bids invited ahead of the 2027-28 season, confirmed at the SCG with no ACA representative present.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.

Only 3% of Australia's medical research funding goes towards women's health issues.

If that makes you feel hysterical, you're not alone. Swisse gets it: that's why they've launched HYSTERIA, a platform reclaiming the word and pushing for real conversation and funding for women's health. Their Ultiboost range backs that up, with support for everything from PMS and hormones to vaginal health and mental clarity, at every life stage.

Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has revealed he turned down a four-year contract extension from Football Australia (FA), which would have kept him in charge through to the 2030 World Cup.

Popovic took over from previous coach Graham Arnold in September 2024, and led the youngest squad of any nation at this year’s World Cup in North America.

Australia was eliminated from the tournament after losing to Egypt on penalties in the Round of 32.

FA offered Popovic a four-year deal before the tournament, but Popovic opted for a shorter six-month extension which will see him coach the team through next year’s Asian Cup, which begins in January in Saudi Arabia.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Popovic said: “Although I was offered a four-year deal, I decided to go to the Asian Cup. And I think that is something that I think is good. It gives the FA the opportunity if they want to go in a different direction they can.”

Popovic’s next assignment as Socceroos coach will come later this month with matches against Brazil in Townsville and Brisbane.

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Breakaway men’s golf league LIV Golf has filed for bankruptcy.

The move comes months after the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it would pull its funding from 2027 onward. The league has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S, which allows it to keep operating while it restructures its finances under court supervision.

Here’s what to know.

LIV Golf is a men’s professional golf circuit, launched in 2022 as a rival to the main PGA Tour. The breakaway tour was bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.

Since LIV’s launch in 2022, the PIF has spent more than $US5 billion ($AU6.9 billion) on the venture.

LIV was able to draw star players away from the PGA with signing bonuses reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars, creating a division in men’s professional golf.

In LIV, players compete in 13 teams of four at events across multiple countries throughout the year. Until 2025, LIV events ran over 54 holes (LIV is 54 in Roman numerals) rather than the standard 72.

LIV players can only play PGA events under certain circumstances.

To keep the league running, the PIF has agreed to lend LIV $US49.6 million ($AU68.7 million) in interim financing, subject to court approval.

Fourteen of the 30 largest creditors (people or organisations which loaned LIV money) are players, including Australian Cameron Smith. The 2022 British Open champion is owed $US4.8 million ($AU6.6 million).

LIV said it plans to emerge from Chapter 11 in early 2027. CEO Scott O’Neil has described the future of the league as a scaled-back operation with a reduced schedule.

British private equity firm BC Partners is expected to fund the reorganised league, alongside other minority investors. Players, who remain in “advanced discussions” with LIV, would be handed majority ownership as part of the deal to settle what they are owed.