Today, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) officially confirmed Moana Pasifika is out of Super Rugby Pacific. The Auckland-based side representing Tonga and Samoa folded after sliding into liquidation, and no rescue bid could raise enough to save it.

NZR chief financial officer Chris Kinraid said: “We had every intention to try and stand this team up for the long term. In the end, it's up to the parties with the bid to come up with credible and sustainable capital for a bid. We've not seen that capital."

NZR says the door stays open to a Pasifika side beyond 2027.

For now, Super Rugby Pacific will become a 10-team competition.

113
Australia’s winning margin over Pakistan at the women’s cricket T20 World Cup in England overnight. It’s the fourth straight win for Australia in the tournament’s group stage as they chase a record seventh title. Ellyse Perry led the way with 71 off 48 balls as Australia posted a total of 199 runs, before Pakistan were bowled out for just 86. Australia’s final group stage match will see them pitted against India on Sunday (AEST).

“Let them watch it. If they could wheel some TVs into classrooms… I think they’ve all got iPads anyway, so just chuck it on the iPad.”
Socceroo Jason Geria responding to a question from the media about whether or not school students should be allowed to watch Australia’s final group stage match against Paraguay on Friday. A win or a draw will guarantee that the Socceroos progress to the Round of 32. The match will kick off at 12pm (AEST).

Of the 22 teams that have won the men’s FIFA World Cup, five have lost a match during the tournament and still lifted the trophy. The most recent were the 2022 champions, Argentina, who lost their group stage opener to Saudi Arabia. Socceroos fans, there is still hope.

How do you go from PE teacher to Commonwealth Games Wellbeing Lead?

For Lauren Wann, it meant coaching national volleyball teams while teaching, transitioning into high-performance sport at Volleyball Australia, then returning to study with a Master of Sport Management at Deakin.

She built her network, and landed a leadership role at the Queensland Academy of Sport. This year, she's heading to Glasgow as Wellbeing Lead for the Australian Commonwealth Games team - the first time the role has ever been included.

Inspired by Lauren? Your journey could start at here - at the #1 provider for sport in Australia.*

^{*Shanghai Ranking of Sport Science and Departments 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and QS World University Rankings by Subject}

^{Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.}

🎾 Australian tennis player Ajla Tomljanović has labelled the four-year ban handed to 2023 Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová “a disgrace”. An independent tribunal suspended the Czech former world No.6 this week for refusing a drug test at her home last December. Vondroušová’s defence cited safety fears and anxiety, though the tribunal found no compelling justification. The 26-year-old maintains she has never doped and could still appeal the decision. Tomljanović, who is competing at the Eastbourne Open ahead of Wimbledon, told reporters that testing authorities are “almost out to get” players. Wimbledon begins on 29 June.

🏃 Teenage sprinter Gout Gout has pulled out of next month's Prefontaine Classic in Oregon with back stiffness. The 18-year-old holds the 200m junior world record and was set to race Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, but is now heading home to Brisbane for treatment instead. His manager, James Templeton, said: “It’s not a major injury, but there have been too many weeks of training at less than full capacity”. Gout’s next major track and field meet will be the world under-20 championships in August, where he will race in the 200m and 4x400m relay. 

🏉 The Sydney Roosters have handed former forward Kane Evans an assistant coaching role with the club’s reserve grade side, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. It comes weeks after Evans came out as gay in an emotional interview, becoming the first NRL player to do so since Ian Roberts in 1995. Evans used the interview to speak about struggles with addiction, homelessness, and suicidal thoughts. 

Support is available at Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Claude, the AI for scientific discovery

Researchers at Australia's Garvan Institute are partnering with Claude to do what wasn't possible before: analyse genomic data at massive scale to understand how our genes cause rare diseases, and accelerate treatments to cure them. When science and AI come together, the future of human health gets a little brighter.

Here’s the latest on the FIFA World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo lit up Houston with two goals as Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0 and launched their World Cup campaign. The 41-year-old became the first player to score in six different World Cups and moved past Eusebio as Portugal’s leading scorer at the tournament. Ronaldo said: “As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining… Records are always nice, but my goal is always to help the national team."

In Boston, England drew 0-0 with Ghana as the African side’s “resolute” defending denied England a breakthrough. Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare made saves from Elliot Anderson, Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane. Abdul Fatawu threatened late for Ghana before England hit the crossbar in the 87th minute. Both teams now sit on four points with one group stage match to play and remain on track for the Round of 32.

Meanwhile, Croatia beat Panama 1-0 in Toronto as Croatia’s captain Luka Modric marked his 200th international appearance. The result also confirmed Panama’s exit from the tournament.

Colombia beat Congo DR 1-0 through Daniel Munoz’s late strike. Congo DR can still reach the Round of 32  if they beat Uzbekistan and other results fall their way. Their fate will be decided in the final round of the group stage.

The third round of group stage matches begins tomorrow with knockout spots on the line.

In Group B, Switzerland meet co‑hosts Canada, with both already through to the Round of 32, while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar face off in a must-win clash for both teams. 

In Group C, Scotland take on Brazil with qualification at stake, while  Morocco face already-eliminated Haiti. 

Then in Group D, Czechia’s World Cup campaign is on the line as they play already qualified Mexico, before South Africa and Korea Republic face off in another must-win match.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi

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 first round of the 2026 NBA Draft took place this morning (AEST). 

So, what happened? And how does it all work? 

Here’s your guide.

The NBA draft is the league's annual intake of new talent. The NBA’s 30 teams take turns picking the best young players looking to join the league, mostly American college stars, plus a growing number of internationals.

The event runs over two nights at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with 60 players chosen across two rounds. 

The order of picks is broadly the reverse of last season's standings, so the worst teams get to pick first.

The exception is the lottery, a weighted draw among the 14 teams that didn’t make the most recent playoffs, which decides the top four picks.

The lottery was introduced to discourage teams from deliberately trying to come last just to grab the first pick, a practice known as tanking.

The aim of a draft in any sporting league is competitive balance. By steering the best young players to the weakest teams, the league stops its strongest clubs from hoarding all the talent and keeps more sides in contention over time. 

It also gives teams a low-cost way to improve their roster, since drafted players start on fixed rookie contracts. 

In the first round on Wednesday morning (AEST), the Washington Wizards took 19-year-old AJ Dybantsa from Brigham Young University with the No. 1 pick. It was the Wizards’ first top selection since John Wall in 2010.

Dybantsa was the highest scoring player in U.S. college basketball last season and will join the likes of Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and 2024’s second pick, Alex Sarr, at the Wizards. 

As for the rest of the top four, the Utah Jazz selected Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with the second pick, Duke's Cameron Boozer was picked third by the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Chicago Bulls used their fourth pick to take North Carolina's Caleb Wilson. 

The second round follows on Thursday.

No Australian was picked on night one. Several will be hoping to hear their names in Thursday's second round, among them Louisiana State University guard Max Mackinnon and Purdue centre Oscar Cluff. It would extend a strong recent run, after four Australians were taken in the second round last year. 

Plenty of Aussies are already established in the league, including Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, and Josh Green.