Ash Barty is back… playing golf. 

The three-time grand slam champion is playing in the NZ Open pro-am this week, a tournament that pits professionals and amateurs together. She’ll be strolling the course alongside the likes of surfer Kelly Slater and cricketer Ricky Ponting. 

She said: "I've played two rounds of golf in two years so the form is pretty scarce. The good thing is I'm fresh and there are no demons… so what could possibly go wrong?"

My take: nothing will go wrong. 

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The number of entries withdrawn from the inaugural Trans-Tasman Yacht Race, forcing organisers to postpone the 1,270-nautical-mile (2,352km) Sydney to Auckland event days before its scheduled start on 27 February. With only two boats remaining, officials deemed the race no longer “operationally viable.” A new date will be set after a strategic review.

"Leading this team has been the privilege of my life. I am incredibly proud that Tennis Australia is now recognised globally as the player's partner and the benchmark for the sport, events and entertainment.”
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, who announced this morning that he will be leaving the role to become the CEO of the United States Tennis Association. Tiley started with Tennis Australia in 2005 as a player development director, becoming the Australian Open’s tournament director in 2006 and CEO in 2013. He will stay on as the organisation searches for a replacement.

The fastest 100 metres ever run backwards is 13.17 seconds. Spaniard Christian Roberto López Rodríguez set the mark in 2022, sprinting in reverse in Cabañas de la Sagra.

🏏 Harry Brook has helped England’s men’s cricket side into the T20 World Cup semi-finals with a composed century (100 runs) to beat Pakistan by two wickets in Pallekele. Batting at No.3, Brook steadied the innings after England slipped to 3-35, guiding the chase of Pakistan’s 164 with five balls remaining. The win secures England a fifth consecutive T20 World Cup semi-final appearance, with the other three semi-finalists still to be determined from the Super Eight stage. 

⚽️ Norwegian underdogs Bodø/Glimt have produced one of the upsets of the Champions League season, eliminating Italian three-time winners Inter Milan to reach the round of 16 for the first time. After winning the first leg of the two-match tie, Bodø held firm in Milan for a 2-1 victory and a 5-2 aggregate triumph. Atlético Madrid (Spain), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), and Newcastle (England) also progressed. The remainder of the knockout round matches will be played tomorrow morning (AEDT). 

🎾 Australian Alex de Minaur is out in the first round of the Acapulco Open, beaten by American world number 103 Patrick Kypson in three sets. The loss comes two weeks after De Minaur won the Rotterdam Open. He entered the Mexican tournament as one of the favourites. De Minaur served for the match at 5-4 in the final set, but Kypson broke back and held his nerve in the tiebreak to close out the biggest win of his career. The result ends De Minaur’s bid for a third Acapulco title and sends Kypson into the second round.

🎙️Triple M has appointed Emma Lawrence to its 2026 NRL commentary team, marking the first time a woman will call NRL matches play-by-play in the league’s broadcast history. Lawrence began her career as a sports reporter with Channel 10 and Fox Sports Australia before joining Triple M in 2017, later adding roles with Channel Nine’s NRL coverage. She will step into the role when the season opens in Las Vegas as part of Triple M’s new on-air lineup.

Australia’s favourite iced coffee just got a serious upgrade

Dare Protein Mocha takes the smooth, cocoa-forward taste you know and love and adds 30–45g of protein, with no added sugar. Perfect for early mornings, gym sessions, or a pick-me-up on the go – it’s your classic mocha, now pulling its weight.

Available in 500ml and 750ml from Coles and other retailers.

Australia’s women have opened their ODI series against India with a six wicket win in Brisbane, chasing 214 with plenty of overs left.

The result gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the three match series and marks former captain Alyssa Healy’s return in what will be her final stretch of international cricket.

Here’s what to know.

Australia controlled the innings from the start and bowled India out for 214. Smriti Mandhana scored 58 and Harmanpreet Kaur added 53, giving India short periods of stability, but regular wickets slowed India’s scoring. Ashleigh Gardner led Australia’s attack with 3-33, as India fell before they could lift their scoring rate late in the innings.

Healy set up Australia’s chase with a steady 50 on return. Beth Mooney built on that platform with 76, passing 3,000 ODI runs as Australia moved comfortably towards the target. Annabel Sutherland guided the final stage of the chase with an unbeaten 48 and sealed the win with more than ten overs left.

The win came despite Australia losing Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth before the match, with both ruled out due to quad strains.

Player of the match Beth Mooney said: “I think it was pretty emphatic in the end”.

On Healy’s return, she added: “It's been a real privilege to play alongside [her]... to share a partnership with her was pretty cool, and hopefully we’ve got a few more in us before the end of the series.”

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi

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The United States women’s ice hockey team has declined an invitation to attend the State of the Union at the White House following their Olympic gold medal win. 

The majority of the men’s team attended the annual speech, where the President reflects on the past year and announces future policy. 

Here’s what happened.

Both U.S. teams defeated Canada in overtime to win gold at the Winter Olympics. The women secured their title first, before the men claimed their first Olympic gold since 1980.

After the men’s victory on Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel joined the team in their locker room, putting them on a call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Video posted to social media shows Trump inviting the men’s team to the White House, adding: "I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team." 

The players in the room laughed at this comment, with Trump also saying: "I do believe I probably would be impeached if they were not invited.”

Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams officially received invitations to the White House for Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday (local time).

The women’s hockey team declined the invitation to attend the White House through a spokesperson.

In a statement, the spokesperson said: “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation… [however] due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honoured to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment”.

As for the men’s team, 20 of the 25 players toured the White House on Tuesday afternoon and attended the State of the Union address in the evening. 

Some of the players who did not attend had returned directly to their NHL clubs to prepare for the league’s restart on Wednesday. 

During the address, Trump introduced the team to the audience, and said he would award goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest honour a U.S. civilian can receive. 

During the final, Hellebuyck blocked 41 shots on goal. 

Trump also said that the women’s team would visit the White House at a later date. He said the men’s team “beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime, as everybody saw, as did the American women, who will soon be coming to the White House."

Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal, said to reporters in Miami on Monday night: “I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them.” 

His mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, a former national team player and current women’s staff member, told NBC the focus should remain on unity.

“At the end of the day it’s just about the country… these players, both the men and the women, can bring so much unity,” she said.