SOCCEROOS STAR ALLEGEDLY TESTS POSITIVE FOR COCAINE AFTER SPEEDING

Getty

Socceroos World Cup star Cristian Volpato has allegedly tested positive for cocaine after police twice stopped him for speeding in Sydney on the same night.

The 22-year-old Australia midfielder was stopped in a BMW Coupe on the Anzac Bridge at 11:05pm local time on Thursday night after he was caught travelling between 86-94km/h in a 60km/h zone, police said.

He was subjected to a roadside breath test, which returned a negative result.

However, Volpato allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine when he was stopped two hours later for travelling at 109km/h in the same 60km/h zone.

New South Wales state police said Volpato was issued an infringement notice for excess speed, while his international driver's licence was suspended for six months - which means he cannot drive in New South Wales.

The police also said their inquiries will continue and a secondary sample of oral fluid was taken for further analysis.

Volpato played in three of Australia's four World Cup matches as they reached the round of 32, where they were knocked out by Egypt in a penalty shootout.

Having represented Italy at youth level, he switched allegiances to Australia in May just before the Socceroos announced their squad for the tournament.

Volpato has played at Serie A side Sassuolo since 2023 and he made 24 league appearances for the club as they finished 11th last season.

BBC Sport has approached Football Australia and Sassuolo for comment.

- Emily Salley

AUSTRALIA VS. IRELAND | RUGBY 🏉 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP 2026

 

'WOUND HIM UP A BIT': GWS COACH ADAM KINGSLEY 'TAKES RESPONSIBILITY' AFTER TOBY GREENE SUSPENSION

GWS coach Adam Kingsley has said he will "take responsibility" after Toby Greene found himself in hot water following last Friday's game against Sydney.

The fiery skipper was involved in a few incidents against the cross-town rivals, with an elbow to the head of Isaac Heeney resulting in a one-week suspension.

Greene also copped scrutiny for kicking Dane Rampe in the groin, but was subsequently cleared by the AFL after it was deemed he didn't make contact with the Swans star.

The 31-year-old is a combative player at the best of times and taking on the Swans in a local derby brought that side of his game to the forefront last weekend.

But according to Kingsley, who fronted media on Wednesday morning, his messages during the lead-up to the clash could have been a factor in Greene's outbursts.

"I'd wound him up a little bit during the week," the coach said.

"I need to be better with how I articulate that to him and what I'm asking him to do, being a little bit more explicit around the actions that I require and not some of the stuff which happened. I'll take responsibility for that and be better next time.

"We need him to channel his aggression in a little bit more productive action."

Greene is the most fined and suspended active player in the competition, but received support from Kingsley, who is adamant the skipper won't repeat his performance.

"I'm not concerned in the slightest about Toby Greene," he said.

"He crossed the line on Friday night, I don't think it'll happen again. I have full confidence in that. I have full confidence in him. He just lost his mind for a little bit."

The gun forward will miss Thursday night's crucial clash with the Western Bulldogs and admitted on the Ausmerican Aces podcast that he wishes he acted differently.

Toby Greene tussles with Dane Rampe via Getty Images

"If I had my time back, I would love it back, but that's not possible," Greene said.

"There was a bit going both ways and I probably let that get the better of me in terms of getting emotional and pretty wound up. I've been guilty of it previously in my career and it was certainly a slip-up and something I'd like to have my time back.

"I thought I was almost past that, but clearly not ... [there is] a bit to work on."

GWS are sitting in sixth spot on the ladder heading into the business-end of the season.

- Liam O'Loughlin

AGAINST ALL ODDS | JORDAN MAILATA | SUPER BOWL LIX CHAMP

Jordan Mailata didn't even start playing football until 7 years ago.

Now, he's a Super Bowl champion.

Mailata, the stellar offensive left tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, is from Australia and grew up as a rugby star in Sydney.

And now he's the only Australian - who's not a punter - to ever play in the Super Bowl. His fellow countrymen to appear in the big game are:

🔸Ben Graham

🔸Arryn Siposs

🔸Mitch Wishnowsky

Mailata was a star of the prestigious National Rugby League in Australia, but his road has not been easy.

After fainting during a training session, he was diagnosed with a heart condition and had to have surgery.

Shockingly, football was deemed a potentially safer option for him (which tells you all you need to know about rugby).

Mailata joined Philly in 2018 through the NFL's International Player Pathway Program and has never looked back.

Now officially a Super Bowl champ, he's making his home country proud.

DU PLESSIS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS MIDDLEWEIGHT BELT IN REMATCH WITH STRICKLAND UFC 312

Dricus Du Plessis - Getty Images
 

Dricus Du Plessis didn’t like the way his first meeting with Sean Strickland ended in a split decision a little more than a year ago, so he made sure there was no doubt on Sunday at UFC 312 in Sydney.

In a rather lackluster rematch, Du Plessis retained his middleweight belt with a dominating unanimous decision over a bloodied Strickland.

This was a big proving point for me, (but) I don’t want to make it a habit of these decisions," Du Plessis said. “The game plan here was stay calm, because (my coach) said, ‘You know you can knock somebody out. We know you have that dog (in you). Try and stay calm.’ Because It was really hard once I saw him grabbing at his nose.”

It was the second title defense for the 31-year-old Du Plessis (23-2) after defeating Israel Adesanya with a fourth-round submission on Aug. 17 in Perth, Australia.

The first round saw Strickland (29-7) trying to establish his jab, while Du Plessis stayed aggressive with an array of kicks.

Strickland continued to approach his attacks cautiously in the second round, attempting to pick his spots. Other than a strong right hand early in the round, it was Du Plessis who won the significant-strikes battle, 28-17.

The third drew more boos than it did action through the first half of the round, until an overhand right, and later a spinning back fist by Du Plessis landed.

The fourth round saw the most action, with the champion breaking Strickland’s nose with a hard right punch and then applying nonstop pressure on his challenger. While the first three rounds were extremely close, Du Plessis dominated the fourth.

Du Plessis continued to pepper Strickland’s nose in the final round, while staying on the attack to confirm the win.

In the co-main event, women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili (26-3-0) overcame a rough first round and controlled more than 21 minutes of her title defense against No. 1 contender Tatiana Suarez (11-1-0) to earn a unanimous decision to retain her belt.

Zhang has won her past four title defenses, three by unanimous decision and the other by second-round submission.

From the undercard:

Heavyweight Tallison Teixeira (8-0-0) made his UFC debut by scoring a first-round TKO over Justin Tafa (7-5-0). That made it eight straight bouts Teixeira has ended in the first round, this one lasting just 35 seconds.

In an action-packed light heavyweight bout, Jim Crute (12-4-2) and Rodolfo Bellato (12-2-1) both turned in impressive performances. Crute dominated the first round, while Bellato was better in the second. A very close third left the judges turning in a majority draw.

In a three-round welterweight bout, Jake Matthews (21-7-0) defeated Francisco Prado (12-3-0) by unanimous decision

 - The Canadian Press/AP

 

HOW INDIA CAN REACH WTC FINAL: WIN AT SCG AND HOPE FOR SRI LANKA SERIES VICTORY OR DRAW AGAINST AUSTRALIA

To qualify for the final, India must win the last Test of the series against Australia at Sydney, and then hope for a positive result for Sri Lanka (or a 0-0 draw) when Australia tour the island nation early next year.

India fans show their support during the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne. India may have lost the crucial Boxing Day contest by 184 runs but all is not lost as far as their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final are concerned. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

India may have lost the crucial Boxing Day contest by 184 runs but all is not lost as far as their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final are concerned.

To qualify for the final, India must win the last Test of the series against Australia at Sydney, and then hope for a positive result for Sri Lanka (or a 0-0 draw) when Australia tour the island nation early next year.

Post the loss, India's point percentage (PCT) has dropped to 52.78 from 55.89. Australia, on the other hand boosted their PCT as they now have 61.46.

South Africa have already qualified for the WTC final after beating Pakistan in the first Test by two wickets on Sunday.

If India manage to win in Sydney, they will have 55.26 PCT and Australia will have 54.26. A win out of two Tests against Sri Lanka then would be enough for Australia to go past India's PCT and join the Proteas in the final.

India began the 2024/25 season in a rampant fashion, securing a confident 2-0 win over Bangladesh at home.

The script that followed was, however, not according to their plans. The side suffered an unprecedented historic loss to New Zealand at home, before embarking on a challenging tour of Australia.

Under stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, the Men in Blue rekindled their hopes for a third straight appearance in the WTC Final, with a win in the opening Test in Perth.

However, the side has since gone on to lose two games in Australia, and their WTC chances have taken a significant hit.

But Australia's compelling win in the final session here has improved their chances of a World Test Championship 2025 final appearance, with the side now just one more Test win away from making it to Lord's next year.

Earlier in Centurion's Boxing Day Test, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen's stunning partnership took South Africa to a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test, confirming their spot at next June's final.

While Australia are out in front as claimants to the second spot, India are still in with a chance. Sri Lanka too are alive, but both will need a string of favourable results to keep their hopes alive.

- THE HINDU

SYDNEY MARATHON 2023

 

OLYMPIAN HELEN SMART DEAD AT 43 Swam For Great Britain In Sydney

Helen Smart, an Olympic swimmer who represented Great Britain in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, died suddenly at the age of 43, according to the school where she was working.

"It is with great sadness and regret that I have to announce the sudden death of our beloved Headteacher, Mrs. Helen Smart," an administrator announced on social media, breaking the awful news to students and parents.

WHAT ARE THE HOST CITIES AND VENUES FOR THE WOMEN'S WORLD CUP ?

Reuters

The ninth FIFA Women's World Cup takes place in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to Aug. 20. These are the host cities and venues for the tournament (Indigenous and Maori names used by tournament organisers in parenthesis):

SYDNEY (CADICAL)

Australia's first city is home to more than five million people and boasts world class beaches as well as the iconic bridge and Opera House facing each other across the harbour.

Built for the 2000 Olympics with an original capacity of more than 100,000, Stadium Australia will host Australia's opening game against Ireland and matches in each of the knockout rounds, including the final.

Sydney Football Stadium (42,000)

Completely rebuilt and re-opened last year, the SFS is a state-of-the-art stadium to the south of the harbour and the home ground for A-League club Sydney FC as well as two rugby teams. Will stage five group matches and a round of 16 tie.

AUCKLAND (TAMAKI MAKAURAU)

New Zealand's largest city was built around two harbours and is sometimes known as the 'City of Sails'. Auckland has long been a magnet for migrants from Pacific islands and boasts the largest ethnic Polynesian population in the world.

Eden Park (50,000)

The spiritual home of New Zealand rugby, Eden Park has hosted three World Cup finals in that sport. Will stage six group matches as well as a round of 16 tie, quarter-final and semi-final.

MELBOURNE (NAARM)

Australia's sports and cultural capital, Melbourne has a similar population to Sydney, its great rival for pre-eminence in the country.

Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (30,000)

Part of the complex of facilities that also includes the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the home of the Australian Open tennis, the stadium is the home ground for Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart A-League clubs. Will host four group matches and two round of 16 ties.

WELLINGTON (TE WHANGNUI-A-TARA)

New Zealand's capital is built around a harbour in the south of the country's North Island. The world's windiest city, Wellington has gained a reputation for culture and its cafe scene.

Wellington Regional Stadium (35,000)

'The Cake Tin' is in the centre of the city and the home to the Wellington Phoenix A-League club as well as a rugby team. Will host seven group matches plus a round of 16 tie and a quarter-final.

DUNEDIN (OTEPOTI)

New Zealand's southernmost city, Dunedin was founded by Scottish migrants and named after the Gaelic for Edinburgh. Students at Otago University and Polytechnic make up a large proportion of the population of some 130,000.

Dunedin Stadium (30,000)

Fortunately given the sometimes wild local weather, 'The Glasshouse' is an entirely enclosed stadium that also hosts rugby and pop concerts. Will stage six group matches.

BRISBANE (MEAANJIN)

At the heart of Australia's fastest growing region, Brisbane is built on the banks of the river of the same name and will host the 2032 Olympics.

Lang Park (52,500)

The home of Queensland rugby league, Lang Park has hosted two World Cup finals in that sport and is renowned for its atmosphere when full. Home to the Brisbane Roar A-League team, it will host five group matches, a round of 16 tie, a quarter-final and the third-fourth playoff.

HAMILTON 

An inland city nestled on the banks of the Waikato River, Hamilton is the heart of a large and populous agricultural region. Two of New Zealand's three women prime ministers, Helen Clark and Jacinda Ardern, were born in Hamilton.

Waikato Stadium (25,800)

A multi-purpose facility mainly used for rugby, Waikato Stadium hosted matches at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Local fans are famous for ringing cow bells. Will host five group matches.

ADELIDE

Adelaide is coastal city and capital of the state of South Australia which lies close to the famous Barossa valley wine producing region.

Hindmarsh Stadium (16,500)

A boutique stadium in the city's suburbs and home of A-League club Adelaide United. Will host four group matches and a round of 16 match.

PERTH

The capital of the state of Western Australia is a coastal city with fine beaches and plentiful sunshine. One of the most isolated large cities in the world, Perth is home to more than two million people.

Perth Oval (20,500)

The home of Perth Glory and two rugby teams, the ground was originally a venue for Australian Rules matches but reconfigured as a rectangular stadium in 2004. Will host five group matches.

- Reuters 

THOUSANDS CROSS SYDNEY HABOUR BRIDGE AHEAD OF WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

Reuters

Thousands of football fans crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday to mark the start of a 25-day countdown to the Women's World Cup, which is being co-hosted by Australia.

The Antipodean nation is putting on the quadrennial tournament with New Zealand in July and August across nine cities.

2021 SYDNEY ROLEX HOBART YATCH RACE | FIRST-TIMERS