Kangaroos hooker Harry Grant and Jillaroos winger Julia Robinson have been crowned the world's best international rugby league players, claiming the 2025 Golden Boot awards.

Grant pipped New Zealand’s Dylan Brown to the men's gong, with judges favouring his heroics in Australia’s Ashes sweep over England. Robinson was the unanimous choice for the women's award after starring in Australia's Pacific Cup victory.

The prestigious accolade is awarded annually to the standout performers in the international arena.

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The age of NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, who was signed this week by the Indianapolis Colts. Rivers, who retired from the league nearly five years ago and has since become a grandfather, has been recalled due to an injury crisis at the Colts. After losing starting quarterback Daniel Jones last weekend, the coaching staff will either select rookie Riley Leonard (who is also dealing with an injury) or Rivers to start against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend.

“I’m on my way there. I’m making it real hard for people to chase after me. That’s what it means to be the GOAT.”
American women’s basketball star A’ja Wilson in an interview with Time Magazine. Wilson was speaking about the growing case for her to be named the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in her sport after she was crowned Time’s Athlete of the Year. The 29-year-old was also named the Associated Press’ Women’s Athlete of the Year this week after a stellar season with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, which saw her claim a third league title and fourth league-wide MVP award.

Best known for writing murder mysteries, Agatha Christie is widely credited as one of the first British women to try stand-up surfing. While travelling the world in the early 1920s, she learned to ride waves in South Africa and Hawaii. In her diary, she described surfing as “one of the most perfect physical pleasures that I have known”. Did someone say shaka?

🏉 The Wallabies have been dealt a blow in their bid to finally reclaim the Bledisloe Cup, after it was confirmed that the 2026 series opener will be played at Eden Park. Australia has not won at the Auckland fortress since 1986. It’ll mark a tough start for incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss, who will replace current coach Joe Schmidt in mid-2026. With the annual rugby union series between Australia and New Zealand reduced to just two matches, a loss in the opener would see the All Blacks retain the trophy before the second game is played in Sydney.

🎾 The Women's Tennis Association has signed a historic partnership with German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, reportedly worth $50 million ($AU75m) a year. The 10-year agreement could reach half a billion dollars ($AU750m) in total, making it potentially the largest sponsorship deal in the history of women's sport. While the four Grand Slams have paid men's and women’s players equally for years, this cash is specifically targeted at closing the massive pay gap that still exists on the regular tour.

🥊 UFC featherweight king Alex Volkanovski has emphatically shut down rumours that his upcoming title defence in Sydney will be his final fight. The 37-year-old is set to face Brazil's Diego Lopes in a rematch at UFC 325 on 1 February, marking his first fight on home soil since 2017. Despite the speculation regarding his age, the Windang warrior insists he has plenty left in the tank and plans to make the victory look easy in front of a packed home crowd.

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Cambodia has withdrawn its entire athletic delegation from the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, just 24 hours after attending the opening ceremony. 

Here’s what to know. 

The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia cited "serious safety concerns" and requests from athletes' families for the team to return home immediately.

The decision follows an escalation in the border conflict between the two nations over the last three days. Officials report that heavy artillery exchanges and Thai air strikes have left at least 14 people dead and displaced an estimated 500,000 civilians in border communities.

Cambodia was scheduled to compete in 12 sports, including swimming and gymnastics, but the team will now depart Thailand. 

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the situation during a rally in Pennsylvania. Claiming credit for a previous truce between the neighbours, Trump announced he plans to "make a phone call" to leaders of both countries to stop the fighting.

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Liverpool FC is dealing with a significant public dispute between forward Mohamed Salah and manager Arne Slot. The conflict has escalated quickly, casting doubt on the future of the club's highest-paid player.

Here’s the Salah-Liverpool saga explained. 

The situation deteriorated following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United on the weekend. Salah, who had been named on the bench for the third consecutive game, stopped to speak to reporters after the match and criticised his treatment.

The 33-year-old accused the club of "throwing him under the bus" regarding the team's recent poor form. 

He also stated that his relationship with Slot had broken down completely: "I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship."

In the wake of Salah’s comments, the Liverpool board backed their manager and made a joint decision to drop Salah from the side for yesterday’s Champions League match against Italian club Inter Milan. Liverpool scored a late penalty to win the fixture 1-0 in Salah’s absence.

Salah is Liverpool’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League and was pivotal in their recent Champions League and Premier League title wins. He signed a two-year contract extension last April worth a reported £400,000 ($AU800,000) a week.

However, his form has dipped this season, with just four league goals to his name. Slot claims his decision to drop Salah was a tactical move intended to improve the team's defensive structure, but the player took public exception to the demotion.

It appears unlikely Salah will play for Liverpool again. Reports from talkSPORT suggest he will not feature in this weekend's clash against Brighton, despite previously claiming he wanted to use the match to "say goodbye" to the fans. 

With the forward set to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations by 15 January, he will be away from the club until after the January transfer window opens.

A move to the Middle East is the most probable outcome. Saudi Pro League chief executive Omar Mugharbel has confirmed Salah is a "target" for the league, though Al-Kholood chairman Ben Harburg publicly stated he would prefer younger talent like Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.