The NRL’s Perth Bears have signed their first player, according to reports from Nine. 

The Western Australian rugby league team, which is set to join the competition in 2027, have recruited 17-year-old Hendrix Tapiki.

Tapiki is playing junior rugby league at Penrith, and an announcement of the signing is expected in the coming days. 

Let’s hope the ‘Little Wing’ can leave defenders in a ‘Purple Haze’ as fans look on from ‘All Along the Watchtower’.

Get it? Ha. 

28
The consecutive number of matches Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner has won on indoor hard courts. Sinner defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev in straight sets (6-4, 6-3) in the group stage of the ATP Finals overnight, securing his place in the knockout stages. In the other match played on Wednesday (local time), Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated American Ben Shelton in three sets (4-6, 7-6, 7-6). Tonight, Australia’s Alex de Minaur will play American Taylor Fritz, and world number one Carlos Alcaraz will take on Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti.

"We want a Grand Slam; they want to take our scalp. How good is footy? This is why I'm doing the job and that's where the enjoyment starts."
New Zealand rugby union coach Scott Robertson on the BBC’s ‘Rugby Union Weekly’ podcast ahead of the All Blacks' fixture against England this weekend. The All Blacks have so far beaten Ireland and Scotland on their Spring Tour. If they defeat England and Wales, they will complete a rare Spring Tour ‘Grand Slam’. The All Blacks have not beaten all four of those teams on a tour since 2010. The Wallabies will also be in action this weekend against Ireland.

A Queensland police officer has set a new Guinness World Record for the most pull-ups by a woman in one hour. Senior Constable Jade Henderson completed 733 pull-ups, beating the previous record of 725 set in 2016. Henderson said she wanted to see “how far I can push my body and mind.”

🏏 Australia has been handed an Ashes injury scare, with fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott both sent for hamstring scans during this week’s Sheffield Shield action. Hazlewood has been cleared and will train as normal ahead of next week’s first Test in Perth, but Abbott sustained a moderate-grade strain that could rule him out of the series. With captain Pat Cummins already sidelined, selectors may turn to Scott Boland or Beau Webster as cover options.

🏟️ The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will open with a major moment for women’s sport, with the women’s 100m final is set for day one. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the schedule was designed to “start with a bang” and keep global attention on the Games after the opening ceremony. The men’s 100m final will follow on day two. The Games are set to feature a record 50.5% female athletes and 36 sports across 49 venues, with athletics running through the entire event and swimming shifted to the second week.

🏉 Sydney Roosters star Victor Radley is set to return to the NRL as early as Round Six next season despite being handed a 10-match suspension in September. The Roosters issued the major sanction for Radley, which also required him to donate $30,000 to St Vincent’s hospital for cancer research, after media reports linked him to an alleged drug-supply claim involving former teammate Brandon Smith. Radley will be allowed by the club to return earlier than expected because the England international has already missed the three-Test Ashes series and will also miss the Roosters’ first two trial games, according to AAP. Although Radley was not charged by police for the incident, he was punished for bringing disrepute to the Roosters.

Win jeans for life

This year, NEUW is going out with a bang – and they’re taking your denim drawer with them.

Introducing NEUW’s first-ever end-of-year giveaway: jeans for life. Yep. A fresh pair of NEUW denim, season after season, for the long haul.

All you need to do? Sign up with your email and mobile. That’s it. Enter once, and you’re in the running to future-proof your wardrobe with timeless denim staples.

Big finale energy. Big jeans energy. Don’t sleep on it – sign up now.

_{^{T&Cs apply. Promotion ends 31/12/25. Winner drawn 05/01/26.}}

Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and former world champion Anthony Joshua are close to finalising a fight for December that would headline Netflix’s biggest boxing event yet. 

Here’s what to know. 

According to boxing magazine The Ring, Paul cancelled plans to face Gervonta Davis after the American lightweight fighter faced domestic violence allegations. Paul then reached out to several big names, including Ryan Garcia and Terence Crawford, before landing on British boxing star Joshua.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, hinted at the deal earlier this week. The match would be Joshua’s first in over a year after he lost to fellow Brit Daniel Dubois.

For Paul, it marks another major step up in competition. The 28-year-old typically fights around 90 kilograms, while Joshua usually weighs in at more than 110. 

He told ESPN earlier this month: "People are telling me to fight someone my own size. OK, how about I fight somebody who is bigger than me?... That's the most dangerous fight for me right now."

Paul has had 13 professional fights and recorded 12 wins and one loss (to Tommy Fury in 2023). He has won his last six fights, including against then-58-year-old Mike Tyson last year. 

Negotiations are reportedly in their final stages for a December bout in Miami, with Netflix set to stream the event live.

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.

The Socceroos are back in action this week, taking on Venezuela and Colombia in a pair of international friendlies in the United States. 

Both matches form part of coach Tony Popovic’s preparations for next year’s World Cup, with the games designed to test Australia against a different footballing style.

Here’s what to know.

Popovic has included two uncapped players, James Overy, a 17-year-old left back from Manchester United’s youth ranks, and Al Hassan Toure, a speedy attacking midfielder. Overy impressed at the U20 World Cup earlier this year, while Toure’s power and pace are what have earned him selection in the current squad. 

With defender Jordan Bos sidelined through injury, these games also offer a chance for new talent to push for a World Cup spot.

The Socceroos will face world No.50 Venezuela on Friday night in Houston (local time), before meeting Colombia in New York on Tuesday. 

Venezuela have undergone major changes recently, including a new interim coach and a refreshed squad. Australia has only played Venezuela once before, all the way back in 2004, and the match was a 1-1 draw.

Meanwhile, Colombia are ranked 13th in the world and bring both the physicality and technical flair of a world-class football side. The last time the Socceroos played Colombia was in 2018, and the match was a 0-0 draw. 

Popovic said: “South American opposition is something that we really wanted to test ourselves against, in terms of the style of play. They keep the ball very well. They're very structured.” 

The Socceroos are currently ranked 25th in the world. 

With qualification for next year’s World Cup already secured, Popovic is using these matches to experiment with combinations and strengthen depth across the squad. He says balancing stability with opportunity is crucial to building a larger, more competitive player pool ahead of 2026.

The friendlies also double as a logistical rehearsal for next year’s World Cup in the U.S, helping the team familiarise themselves with travel, facilities, and conditions across the host nation.

The match against Venezuela will kick off at 1:30pm on Saturday (AEDT). The match against Colombia will begin at 12pm on Wednesday. You can watch both on Paramount+.