🏉 AFL apologises for umpire abuse

There's a new hope, it's Wednesday, 4 May

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📺 What we're watching

🏀 9.00am - NBA Playoffs - Celtics v Bucks - TD Garden, Boston - Foxtel, Kayo

⚾ 12.00pm - MLB - Dodgers v Giants - Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles - Foxtel, Kayo

⚽ 5.00am (Thu) - UEFA Champions League - Real Madrid v Manchester City - Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid - Stan Sport

All times are in AEST

🏉 AFL apologises for umpire abuse 

A leaked report has revealed that many female umpires had been sexually harassed and abused by players and colleagues while working in Aussie Rules. The AFL has now apologised.

Golden points: The Sydney University report showed that women were leaving the job because of the unsafe working conditions.

• The numbers speak for themselves. At the moment, 10.8% of umpires are women in all levels of Aussie Rules, and that drops to 2.6% in the AFL.

• The report found that the negative experiences by women umpires has had a flow-on effect which has impacted female participation.

• Last night, the AFL apologised to all female and non-binary umpires and encouraged anyone who had been abused to make a report.

They said it: “… we will continue to work day and night until it is safe and welcoming and inclusive.” - Acting CEO Kylie Rogers says things must change.

Key click: Here is the AFL’s apology in full. They say their focus now is on making sure they follow the 11 recommendations that are in the report.

⛳ Full steam ahead for Saudi golf league

We’ve all heard Hurt by Johnny Cash. Well, a lot of people have been hurt and have lost a fair bit of cash following comments made by Phil Mickelson earlier this year.

Golden points: 2022 was meant to be a big year of change in the world of golf. We’re talking BIG changes, headlined by a rebel tour that’s being funded by the Saudi Arabian government.

• Aussie Greg Norman is CEO of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, and he reckons 15 of the world’s top 50 golfers were going to join his league when it was supposed to launch in February.

• That was until everything hit the fan. Mickelson’s comments about Saudi Arabians being scary were leaked by a journalist, and the players backed out.

• But Norman and the Saudis aren’t stopping. An 8-event tour starts next month and players are looking at a prize pool of around $350 million.

What’s next: We’re about a month away from the first event, which is called the LIV Golf Invitational in London. It starts on 9 June and we know Mickelson wants to play. But it clashes with a PGA event that week, so players will need to ask for a release if they want to play. That could get messy.

⚽ Minimum wage comments receive minimal support

The upcoming men’s football World Cup in Qatar has had its doubters for quite a while. FIFA President Gianni Infantino hasn’t helped them out with some controversial comments in the States.

Golden points: The World Cup is about 6 months away, and the event has transformed Qatar. We’re talking new stadiums, roads and even a new city. But there’s been a human cost.

• A report says about 6500 people have died during construction, but Infantino believes 3 people have died while building stadiums.

• But it doesn’t end there. He said the workers and their families should feel proud that they get the chance to work rather than receive money from charity.

• The Qatari government pays workers a minimum wage of around $1.80 per hour, and Infaninto said he was proud that FIFA could help out. He didn’t answer when asked if FIFA would financially support the families of the workers who had died.

They said it: “When you give work to somebody, even in hard conditions, you give him dignity and pride. It's not charity.” - Infantino has upset some people with this line.

🏉 It's Tom's time to shine

It’s Turbo time, and that’s not good news for the Tigers.

Golden points: Team list Tuesday was kind to Manly fans because Sea Eagles superstar Tom Trbojevic is back. In case you forgot, he’s missed 4 games with a knee injury.

• That’s great news for the Sea Eagles because they’ve lost 2 in a row without the reigning Dally M medalist.

• There’s a reason why Trbojevic is so important to this team. He scored 28 tries and set 28 of them up in 2021.

• It’s not just the Sea Eagles who are cheering. NSW coach Brad Fittler must be stoked because Turbo is good to go for the State of Origin series opener on 8 June. He was player of the series in 2021.

What are the chances… some history will be made? It’ll be a family affair at 4 Pines Park on Saturday arvo. This will be the first time that brothers Tom, Jake and Ben get to play an NRL game together at home. Ben is in the team because outside backs Brad Parker and Jason Saab are injured.

🎱 Snooker star rockets into the record books 

They call snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘The Rocket’. Well, he’s just launched himself into history and he’s not slowing down.

Golden points: In a sport that is often played in silence, O’Sullivan is the maverick on tour who lets his cue do the talking. Now he’s a 7-time world champion, and it’s got everyone else talking.

• The Englishman beat Judd Trump 18-13 in the final. It was his 7th win, which equals Stephen Hendry’s modern record.

• There are some young guns on tour, but at 46yo, O'Sullivan is still the best. He’s also the oldest winner of the event.

• The win comes 21 years after his first win in Sheffield. He was in tears afterwards, and who can blame him because he won close to $900,000.

Watch it: Here are the highlights from the win. O’Sullivan got to celebrate it with his family this time. His dad was in jail when he first won it in 2001.

👀 Quick singles

⚽ Liverpool is the first team through to the UEFA Champions League final, but it wasn't smooth sailing. They were down 2-0 at half-time but came back to beat Villareal 3-2 this morning and 5-2 on aggregate.

🏉 Carlton’s Lewis Young is available for selection after he had a win at the AFL tribunal last night. He was looking at a one-week ban for his bump on North Melbourne’s Cameron Zurhaar but is now free to play Adelaide on Sunday.

🎾 Novak Djokovic is into the next round following an easy win at the Madrid Open. He beat Gael Monfils in straight sets and now has an 18-0 record over the Frenchman.

⚽ Fulham fans are already getting excited for their return to the English Premier League next season. The club clinched the Championship title yesterday thanks to Aleksandar Mitrović, who has now scored 43 goals in the league this season.

🏀 NBA superstar Joel Embiid won’t return for Philadelphia’s next playoff game against the Heat as he continues to recover from a facial fracture and concussion. We don’t know when he’ll be back, but his coach says Embiid is feeling a lot better.

🏉 Warriors playmaker Ash Taylor has officially retired from the NRL. The 27yo has chronic hip pain and says he’s unable to play anymore.

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🙃 Left of field…

It’s time to dust off the gym card because you’re about to feel guilty for not exercising this week.

Golden points: Lester Wright put us all to shame when he broke the record for the fastest 100m race by a 100yo.

• The former WWII soldier was competing at the Penn Relays when he clocked a time of 26.34 seconds.

• That was about half a second under the previous world record set back in 2015.

• It’s no surprise to learn that he has the fastest 200m time for people over 75. To be fair, he has been sprinting for about 80 years.

Watch it: Wright says he doesn’t run to finish 2nd or 3rd so expect to see more of him in the future. Here’s how he broke the record on the weekend.

📽 The highlight reel

Make sure you remember the name Garang Kuol. The 17yo has now scored 4 goals in 7 games to help the Mariners qualify for the A-League Men finals. Here are the highlights from their win over the Roar last night.

📸 Photo finish

Here's former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen taking a selfie with a fan at the Indian Premier League. Geez that looks a lot like former South African skipper Graeme Smith...

🏃‍♀️ The finish line

🏆 Today's trivia answer

South Sydney's Alex Johnston scored 30.