In Italy overnight, furious supporters of professional football club Torino dumped a pile of manure outside the team’s training ground in protest against owner Urbano Cairo.

The manure was left under a banner that read ‘merde come Cairo’ which translates to ‘Sh— like Cairo’.

The club sits 15th on the league table, and fans have grown increasingly frustrated with years of underachievement.

This story reeks of a pun, but I can’t figure it out. And yes, it’s true!

61 runs
The margin by which Sri Lanka lost to New Zealand in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup last night. New Zealand officially ended the co-hosts’ T20 World Cup campaign, leaving Sri Lanka with one Super Eight match remaining but no realistic path to the semi-finals. It marks one of their heaviest defeats of the tournament and sparked an emotional response from captain Dasun Shanaka afterwards, who said: "It's embarrassing to disappoint the home crowd, they've been very supportive."

"I think the guys were in a tough spot, so it's a shame that this storyline and narrative has blown up and [is] overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another… This is a really good learning point to focus on how we talk about women, not only in sport but in [any] industry, women aren't less than and our achievements shouldn't be overshadowed."
U.S. women’s ice hockey captain Hilary Knight speaking to ESPN in response to the widely circulated video of the men’s team on a phone call with President Donald Trump after winning gold at Milano Cortina. On the call, Trump joked he would “have to” invite the women’s team (who also won gold) to the White House or risk impeachment, making the men’s team laugh.

In 1975, British couple Colin and Veronica Scargill became the first pair to tandem-bike around the world, covering 18,020 miles (28,999km) over 18 months. The record, later recognised by Guinness, is effectively unbreakable in its original form, as modern rules now require global circumnavigations to start and finish at the same point.

⚽ Turkish club Galatasaray have reached the Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 2013-14, advancing despite losing 3-2 to Italian giants Juventus after extra time in Turin. Galatasaray had built a three-goal lead in the first leg in Istanbul. In Turin, Juventus stormed back and were 3-0 up in regular time, which levelled the overall score across the two matches and forced extra time. Goals from Victor Osimhen and Barış Alper Yılmaz secured a 7-5 aggregate victory for Galatasaray. Italian side Atalanta, Spanish club Real Madrid, and France’s defending champions Paris Saint-Germain also progressed this morning, with the draw for the round of 16 set to take place later this week.

🏉 In a pre-season AFL match last night, Carlton beat last year's runners-up Geelong by 15 points. After missing last season with injury, 20-year-old Jagga Smith looks primed for a debut with the Blues after starring with 37 disposals and a goal. The night was dampened by a shin injury to Geelong forward Shannon Neale, who limped off after a ruck contest. Carlton will open their 2026 campaign in the first match of the AFL’s Opening Round next week when they take on the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Thursday. 

🏎️ Turn 6 at the Australian Grand Prix will be dedicated to German race engineer Laura Mueller (Haas) and British head of race strategy Hannah Schmitz (Red Bull Racing) as part of the “In Her Corner” International Women’s Day initiative. Mueller is Formula 1’s first full-time female race engineer, while Schmitz has played a pivotal role in Red Bull’s championship success. The pair are set to become the first women to have a corner at the iconic Albert Park race circuit named in their honour.

🏉 ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has dismissed speculation linking him to an assistant coaching role with the New Zealand All Blacks, saying he is in “ongoing discussions” to extend his contract in Canberra. The former Wallabies playmaker has reaffirmed his commitment after the Brumbies’ 50-24 win over the Crusaders last Sunday. Unbeaten and sitting atop the Super Rugby Pacific ladder after two rounds, the Brumbies are set to host the Auckland Blues on Saturday night.

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.

The AFL has confirmed a major tweak to Brownlow Medal voting, with umpires now allowed to review official match statistics before casting their votes.

Here’s what it means.

After each game, the four field umpires meet to award 3, 2 and 1 votes to the players they judge best afield. Votes are kept secret until Brownlow night, and the player who tallies the most votes wins the Brownlow Medal, the league's highest individual honour. 

Until now, the umpire’s voting decisions were based solely on their observations during the match.

From this season, umpires will have access to data across 17 statistical categories, including disposals, score involvements, and intercept possessions. While the award remains subjective, the added data could help clarify close calls, highlight players' impact off the ball, and reduce scrutiny around surprising vote tallies.

The Brownlow has long been viewed as an award that favours midfielders. This is because, by nature of their position within the field, they often spend lots of time either with or around the ball. 

Ultimately, the change could settle the debate around perceived inconsistencies in voting and see the Brownlow being awarded to players in different positions. 

The change will also apply to voting for the AFLW’s Best and Fairest award. 

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The Asian Cup begins on Sunday. 

It will be the first chance Australian fans get to see the Matildas playing in a major tournament on home soil since their famous 2023 World Cup campaign. 

Here's what you need to know before it kicks off.

The Asian Cup is the region’s top international women's football tournament.For Australia, it's second only to the World Cup in prestige. 

Twelve nations will compete across three weeks, with the tournament also doubling as a qualifier for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil for the top six teams.

Australia are hosting, with matches in Perth, Sydney, and the Gold Coast. 

The final will be played at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, 21 March.

Australia enter the tournament with a 26-player squad that combines experienced World Cup stars with emerging talent under coach Joe Montemurro. Captain Sam Kerr is back after a two-year ACL layoff and has shown signs of strong form for Chelsea this season. 

Defenders Steph Catley and Ellie Carpenter will act as vice-captains for the side. 

Mary Fowler has also returned from injury, though she's had little match time since making her comeback for Manchester City in early February. 

The Matildas last won the Asian Cup in 2010, defeating North Korea on penalties in the final. Their most recent campaign in 2022 ended in disappointment when South Korea knocked them out in the quarter-finals. 

This year, Australia are in Group A alongside South Korea (world No.21), Iran (68), and the Philippines (41). The Aussies come into the tournament ranked 15th in the world. The rematch with South Korea looms as a significant early test, but the Matildas can take confidence from beating them twice in 2025. 

The Philippines also have the potential to trouble the Aussies after making the semi-finals in 2022.

Based on rankings, the Matildas should be contenders to top the group and set up a favourable path through the knockouts.

World No.8 Japan are the highest-ranked team in the tournament and enter as favourites. China (19) are the defending champions, chasing a record-extending tenth title, while South Korea will be looking to go one better this year after finishing runners-up in 2022. 

World No.9 North Korea are also strong contenders. The country’s youth teams have had recent success at the World Cup level, and that talent is now feeding into the senior side. 

For nations like India and Bangladesh, qualification alone marks historic progress.

The tournament kicks off on Sunday, with Australia facing the Philippines in Perth at 8pm (AEDT). In Australia, Matildas matches will air on Network 10 and 10Play, with all games available to stream on Paramount+.