Today’s intro is dedicated to one of the world’s most decorated canine athletes. 

Rosie, a five-year-old Labrador, was crowned overall champion at the 10th annual World Dog Surfing Championships in California on Sunday after taking out the large dog, stand-up paddleboard, and human/dog tandem categories.

Check out Rosie in action below; it’s way more impressive than a handshake.

£17 million ($AU32.5 million) 
The transfer fee for 18‑year‑old Socceroo Lucas Herrington, according to The Athletic. His current team, the U.S. Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, is negotiating with English Premier League club Hull City. According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the Rapids would also receive 15% of any future sale. Hull City owner Acun Ilıcalı told the BBC “we are very close”. If finalised, the move would clear Harry Souttar’s $23 million national record.

“At the beginning of the week, there is no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy... These things kind of creep up on you, and I hold these moments really close to me.”
Tennis star Alexandra Eala after winning her first WTA 500 title at the Mubadala DC Open. The 20-year-old defeated world number three Jessica Pegula in three sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-0). It marks the first time the Philippines has had a champion on the WTA tour.

Of the 32 teams in the NFL, 12 have never won the Super Bowl. The Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings share the record for most Super Bowl appearances without a win, with both teams having lost four each. 

🚴 Norwegian cyclist Sigrid Haugset has won stage three of the women’s Tour de France with a remarkable 85-kilometre solo attack on the 157-kilometre route from Geneva to Poligny. It’s the first time she has won any race on the UCI World Tour. Haugset broke clear on the Col de la Savine climb and held off Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky, who closed to within 15 seconds before fading late. She now sits two minutes and two seconds ahead of Mauritian cyclist Kimberley Le Court in the overall standings, with 2023 champion Demi Vollering in third.

🏉 Richmond defender Luke Trainor has been suspended for one game after striking West Coast’s Jack Williams on Sunday at the MCG. In the Tigers’ first win since May, Trainor punched Williams in the stomach behind play as the pair fought in the goal square. The match review officer graded the incident as “intentional, medium impact and body contact”. The 20-year-old will now miss Saturday night’s clash with Adelaide. 

⚽ FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing growing opposition for his re-election in 2027 after Serbia, Sweden, England, and Wales publicly withdrew their support. It comes after his failed plan to sell a 20% stake of the World Cup to private investors, which was halted after Europe’s top football body UEFA threatened a boycott on future tournaments. UEFA’s lawyers also told FIFA they are “actively considering legal action, arbitration and regulatory complaints,” according to The Associated Press. The New York Post has reported that Infantino has sought support from U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom he has a well-documented relationship.

⚾ The first women’s professional baseball game in the U.S. since 1954 was played over the weekend, with the LA Queens beating the New York Heights 10-8 in a rain‑soaked league debut in Illinois. The game delivered a string of firsts, including the Queens’ Maggie Foxx producing the league’s first hit and Heights captain Denae Benites smashing the first home run.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.

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Australian swimmer Isaac Cooper has stepped down from the national team's leadership group after missing the final night of Commonwealth Games competition and a team meeting. 

Here’s what happened.  

The 22-year-old backstroker withdrew from the 100m backstroke final after qualifying eighth, before failing to attend the closing night of racing or the team’s wrap-up meeting. 

Swimming Australia said Cooper’s absence clashed with team expectations, declining to comment further following him voluntarily stepping down from the athlete leadership group.

The Sydney Morning Herald first broke the story, reporting Cooper had been out drinking while teammates were competing, citing three anonymous sources.  sources. . 

The decision comes after Cooper had rebuilt his standing within the team following a 2022 incident, when he was sent home from a French training camp on the eve of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games over misuse of prescription medication. 

Despite stepping down from the leadership group, Cooper will remain with the Australian team and is expected to compete at the Pan Pacific Championships in California from 12 August.

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Former NRL player Luke Bateman has alleged betting companies offered him alcohol and drugs while he battled a gambling addiction that he says cost him around $1 million. 

The 31-year-old was giving evidence about his personal experience at a Senate inquiry into the federal government's legislation to restrict gambling ads in Canberra on Monday.

Here’s what happened.

Bateman appeared before the inquiry on Monday, which is examining the Government's proposed gambling reforms. 

He alleged VIP account managers asked what drugs he wanted before flying him interstate to attend race days, and described an exclusive Gold Coast event where company executives allegedly took drugs alongside clients. 

Bateman, who was around 23 at the time, said he was a willing participant, but argued gambling companies had a responsibility to protect vulnerable people like himself. He said personalised offers, including  "bonus bets", kept drawing him back in, and that his addiction led him to steal from family to fund his gambling. 

Bateman was signed by the Raiders as a schoolboy and made his NRL debut in 2015, before injuries brought his playing career to an end. He has said his gambling addiction began at  18 after a team trip to a casino, eventually costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars before his family stepped in. 

Since leaving rugby league, Bateman has rebuilt his life through books, becoming a well-known figure in the online "BookTok" community, securing a two-book publishing deal and appearing on reality TV. 

He now campaigns for tougher gambling laws and has used his own experience to push for change.

Australians lost more than $32 billion on legal gambling in 2023-24, the highest per-capita losses in the world. 

A 2023 parliamentary inquiry, led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, recommended a full ban on gambling advertising over three years, as well as bans on inducements and the creation of a national gambling regulator. Inducements are offers like bonus bets, rewards or promotions designed to encourage people to gamble. 

Labor's proposed laws stop short of a full ban, instead capping gambling ads and restricting them during live sports broadcasts while keeping inducements in place. 

Critics say the changes do not go far enough. The Greens and Coalition have sent the bill to this inquiry, meaning the Government needs support from one of them to pass the legislation. 

If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, contact the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858.