And with that, a big week of sport comes to a close. You’ll be back in the capable hands of our friend George next week, but I have had a blast bringing you the big news each day this week. Here’s my highs and lows of the week:

Highs: the Matildas’ new jersey (I rate it!), ice hockey (what a sport), and AFL/NRL practice matches starting.
Lows: pay disputes, players feeling unsafe, and season-ending injuries before the season begins.

Ah, the up-and-down, snakes-and-ladders world of sport. It’s why we keep coming back.

7%
The percentage of AFL coaches who say they feel adequately paid for the stress and time commitments of the job, according to a recent survey reported by Nine. The average wage of a senior coach in 2024 was $750,000. 37% said they had “acceptable work-life balance”

"We're not ready to host the upcoming mega decade of events that will draw millions of domestic and international travelers. This poses risks to our national security and hampers economic growth."
A new report from the U.S. Travel Association ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics. The report recommended faster visa processing systems, an overhaul of airport security, and a dedicated White House taskforce.

10% of all global tourism in 2024 was because of sport, with the Paris Olympics and the Euros football tournament the largest events.

🏒 Canada has beat the U.S. in the final match of the 4-Nations ice hockey tournament, which saw the two nations face off against Finland and Sweden in a round-robin format. The inaugural tournament became a flashpoint between the two North American countries amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of heavy tariffs on Canadian goods. Fans of both sides booed each other’s national anthems at previous games.

⚽️ A-Leagues Commissioner Nick Garcia has resigned in an unexpected mid-season move. Former federal Labor Senator Stephen Conroy was announced as his replacement, in the capacity of Executive Chairman. Garcia, who had been in the role since mid-2023, was facing sustained criticism over the A-League’s plateauing growth.

⛳ Golfers Tiger Woods and Adam Scott have met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, where they are thought to have discussed a plan to bring together professional golf under “one tour”. Woods and Scott attended as part of the PGA delegation, who are trying to re-unite the golfing world as Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf tour continues to grow in funding and popularity.

🏀 NBA star Victor Wembanyama is set to miss the rest of the NBA season after announcing a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The Athletic reports the 21-year-old French international had “low energy” in recent weeks. Wemby was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year last season, and had been enjoying another high-performing season with the San Antonio Spurs. There are 30 games left of the regular NBA season.

🦢 The Sydney Swans have beaten the GWS Giants 125-68 in the first match under new coach Dean Cox. Forward Joel Amartey scored six goals, Braeden Campbell kicked four, while Jesse Hogan led GWS with three goals. The Swans are looking to bounce back from their loss to Brisbane at last year’s Grand Final, while GWS are looking to improve on their semi-final exit to the eventual premiers. Adelaide and Port Adelaide play this evening.

The Matildas were convincingly beaten 4-0 by Japan in their opening game of the SheBelieves Cup, a four-team tournament involving the U.S. (the host), Colombia, and Japan.

Sporting a bold new-look kit released with Nike this week, the Matildas conceded a goal after only six minutes, with Japanese striker Mina Tanaka scoring Japan’s two first-half goals. In commentary, Andy Harper described the Matildas’ first-half performance as “beyond less than acceptable”, with the Matildas registering no shots at goal in the entire first 45 minutes.

Key stars Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Alanna Kennedy and Katrina Gorry were all replaced midway through the second half, but it did nothing to stop the superb Japanese side from adding one more goal to their tally in the 74th minute.

The Matildas ended the match with only a single shot on goal, compared to Japan’s 18.

Speaking after the match, Matildas vice-captain Ellie Carpenter said “We weren’t gelling. Japan are a great team, they rotate so much, their movement is incredible. Technically they’re amazing, so they find those pockets between the lines very easily. For us, we just need to be more compact and we needed to get on the same page, which we didn’t do.”

Sermanni said Japan “gave us a bit of a football lesson today”, and that it was “one of those games where things just didn’t work out for us and the result was well deserved and accurate”.

A 4-0 win is Japan’s biggest-ever victory over the Matildas, with Australia’s side granted only a few days to regroup before they face Team USA on Monday morning (9:00am AEDT).

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The former head of Spanish football has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a player at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

Spain’s High Court found Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso without her consent following the country’s World Cup victory.

Hermoso had also accused Rubiales and three other football executives of trying to coerce her into saying the kiss was consensual, which the court ruled against.

Rubiales told media he plans to appeal the decision.

Spain defeated England 1-0 to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Sydney on 20 August 2023.

During a medal ceremony after the victory, Rubiales – then head of the Spanish Football Federation – took Hermoso’s head in his hands and kissed her.

Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual and took legal action against Rubiales, culminating in a criminal trial in the Spanish High Court.

Overnight, the court found Rubiales guilty of sexually assaulting Hermoso.

It ruled Rubiales kissed Hermoso in a “surprising and unexpected manner”.

In the court’s briefing, the judge gave Hermoso “full credibility” in her evidence that the kiss was not consensual and went beyond the “normal way of greeting people with whom one does not have an emotional relationship”.

The court did not find Rubiales or any of the three football executives guilty of coercion, citing a lack of evidence of violence or intimidation.

Rubiales has been fined €10,800 ($AU17,700).

He’s also banned from being within 200 metres of Hermoso or contacting her for at least a year.

Rubiales told news agency Reuters he would appeal.

Hermoso’s lawyer has also flagged she will appeal. Prosecutors had sought a jail sentence for Rubiales.

Rubiales’ actions ignited a wave of protests across Spain in 2023.

The international body representing football players said the court’s ruling showed Rubiales’ behaviour was “unacceptable”.

Spanish Equality Minister Ana Redondo said: “When there is no consent, there is aggression, and that is what the judge certifies in this sentence.”

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