Good evening!

Just to follow up on yesterday’s intro, LeBron and Bronny made history today as the first father and son to play in an NBA game together.

And, if you’re reading this at 5pm and in the mood for a bit of trans-Tasman rivalry, Australia and New Zealand are currently playing each other in the second Test of the Constellation Cup. You can watch it on Kayo for free.

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Stat of the day

125
The number of players born outside the U.S. playing in the NBA this season. Every team features at least one international player on its squad, and a record 43 different countries are represented. Among the 125 internationals are 14 Aussies. The 2024/25 NBA season began today.

Quote of the day

"I did retire for the right reasons to finish the game, and I wanted to finish. [But] my hand is up if they desperately need someone. I'm not going to shy away from that."
Former Australian cricketer David Warner speaking to News Corp. The 37-year-old retired last year after several Test series as one of Australia’s incumbent opening batsmen. Warner’s comment comes as Australian selectors decide upon a replacement ahead of next month’s five-Test series against India.

Random fact of the day

James Milner has played in more seasons of the English Premier League than any other player. The 38-year-old, who currently plays for Brighton and Hove Albion, is currently in his 23rd season and within 13 games of breaking the all-time appearances record. He debuted for Leeds at the age of 16 in 2002.

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In case you missed it…

🏉 The Wallaroos’ schedule for the 2025 women’s Rugby World Cup has been announced. The Aussies will play three group games: first against world number 15 Samoa, then the U.S. (9th), and finally tournament favourites England (1st). Coach Jo Yapp said: "Samoa will be a tough opponent early and help us set a standard for the rest of the tournament." The Wallaroos are currently ranked fifth in the world after winning the WXV 2 tournament.

🏀 Game 5 of the WNBA Finals series between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx was the league’s most-watched finals game since 1999. The match, which saw the Liberty win their first championship, was watched by 2.15 million on ESPN and peaked at 3.3 million viewers. According to ESPN, there was a 115% increase in finals viewership year-on-year. Game 5 was the seventh most-watched game this season. The top six all featured Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

🏉 The AFL has announced that an Indigenous All-Stars team will be assembled for the first time since 2015. The Indigenous All-Stars are scheduled to play against the Fremantle Dockers on 15 February, during the 2025 pre-season. A squad has not yet been named. In 2015, the All-Stars were beaten 49-41 by the West Coast Eagles.

🏉 The Kangaroos and Jillaroos lineups have been announced ahead of their respective Pacific Championship games against New Zealand on Sunday. Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has made no changes to the team which beat Tonga 18-0 last weekend. Jillaroos captain Ali Brigginshaw will return after being a late withdrawal from the team which beat Papua New Guinea 84-0. Additionally, Olivia Higgins will start in place of Quincy Dodd, who injured her quad in last week’s game.

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Dominic Thiem, who went toe-to-toe with the best, retires from tennis

Former world no.3 Dominic Thiem has retired from tennis at the age of 31. Thiem called time on his injury-hampered career after losing in round one of the Vienna Open.

Career

The Austrian will be remembered by tennis fans for his powerful one-handed backhand and sole Grand Slam victory at the 2020 U.S. Open. During his 14-year career, he won 17 ATP titles. Thiem’s talent is reflected in his 16-19 record against the big three (Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer). His 46% win rate against those players is the highest of any player outside of the trio. He had a 5-2 winning record against Federer. Thiem also finished as runner-up in three grand slam finals, losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2018 and 2019 French Open and Novak Djokovic at the 2020 Australian Open.

What they said

Thiem said: "I've had so many nice goodbyes in the last few months, but today I want to say thank you for all the sensational years. I am only a part of this career. The whole journey has been an absolute dream. I couldn't have imagined it any better."

Roger Federer said: “No matter the surface, you always found a way to beat me with your thunderous backhands. But more importantly, you did it with grace and sportsmanship.”

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Scaled-back Glasgow 2026 CommGames will see several sports cut from schedule

Yesterday, Glasgow was officially confirmed as the host city for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Because there are only two years to prepare for the event, the next Games will be modified to be “lighter and leaner”. The Games will feature ten sports and six para-sports. Several included at Birmingham 2022 have been cut from the program.

How did we get here?

The state of Victoria was meant to host the Games, but decided to withdraw in July 2023 due to high costs. In September 2024, Scotland’s Sport Minister Neil Gray announced the Scottish Government were happy with plans for a “scaled-back, but high-quality” Glasgow-based Games. Those plans now have official backing from the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Part of the appeal for Scotland is that the Games will not require any public funding. Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) will be responsible for running the event. Gray said the organisation would not call upon the UK or Scottish government for financial assistance but instead modify the scale of the event to meet financial constraints.

Which sports have been cut?

Rugby sevens, hockey, cricket, triathlon and para-triathlon, squash, beach volleyball, diving, badminton, table tennis and para-table tennis, wrestling, road cycling and mountain biking have all been cut after featuring at the 2022 Games in Birmingham.

What they said:

World Rugby said in a statement: “The absence of rugby sevens, along with other team sports, at Glasgow 2026 is a significant loss for players, fans, and the Games themselves”.

Hockey Australia CEO David Pryles said: “It is a disappointing announcement, not just for hockey but for all of the sports who have missed out in the reduced format”.

Squash Australia CEO Robert Donaghue said the news was “a blow to the players who have had their dream of competing in the Commonwealth Games taken away from them”.

When are the games?

The Games will be held in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August 2026.

A message from our sponsor

The Matildas take on Switzerland this weekend in their first match since the Olympics. It’s been just over a year since the Matildas made the semi-final at the 2023 World Cup and re-ignited Australia’s passion for football. Since then, 14 straight sold-out Matildas matches have been set. Here are two continuing impacts of the ‘Matildas Effect’.

The government announced the Play Our Way grant program which was designed to provide opportunities for women and girls to participate in and benefit from sport. The program will run over three years and offer $200 million in funding with the goal of fostering safe and inclusive environments as well as encouraging women to remain involved in sports and physical activity for life.

Following the success of the Matildas in 2023, Australia has been awarded the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Over 24,000 international visitors are anticipated to travel for the tournament, which is expected to boost the economy by $260 million. Expect the Matildas Effect to be back in full swing for the Asian Cup with games being played in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.

Think Beyond The Field. Study Sport at Deakin.

Looking back…

Looking forward… (All times are AEDT)

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