Sport

In 1997 a group of Canberra Raiders players, led by Ruben Wiki, David Furner and Brett Finch, rallied to help one of their own. It wasn’t a fellow player, but the beloved team mascot, Tony Wood, better known as Victor the Viking. Tony had suffered stroke-like symptoms, known as Conversion Disorder, and was admitted to hospital. While he was in...

The NSW ICC T20 World Cup Cricket Legacy Fund has donated $5000 to two community cricket projects in the Bega Valley. Member for Bega Andrew Constance said the funding will improve the participation experience for community cricket. “This final round of funding will see grassroots cricket supported, with Bega/Angledale Cricket Club and Pambula Cricket Club each receiving $2500 for new...

Who would have thought that Canberra's Nick Kyrgios would morph from tennis brat and national embarrassment to statesman of the game in such a short space of time? It seems like only yesterday that we were ready to disown Kyrgios for his on-court antics despite his prodigious talent with the racquet. Now our Nick, with a hint of maturity, a...

There was a time in the 1980s and '90s when Russell Stewart was better known on London's streets than in his home city of Canberra. When he walked into a pub in England, there was instant recognition. That’s not to say that he didn’t have a profile in Australia as he rubbed shoulders with fellow elite athletes such as Rob...

When Thomas Hewitt switched his focus from cattle and sheep farming to harness racing in the late 1970s, he did not imagine his enthusiasm for the sport would inspire the lives of two generations and all the local punters. In fact, Tom’s name became synonymous with harness racing in the Crookwell district after setting several race records and breeding numerous...

In 2021 the Canberra Raiders will be bolstered by the return of key players coming back from injury and the emergence of several promising juniors, meaning the Raiders that take on Wests Tigers in next year’s opening round could feature as many as five changes from the lineup that ended the 2020 season. From the Raiders side which went down...

As Dan McKellar prepares for his fourth season at the helm of the Brumbies, he has already amassed a well-earned reputation as a future head coach of the Wallabies. Wallabies coach Dave Rennie wanted McKellar to be his assistant, taking charge of the forwards for the 2020 campaign. McKellar says he was keen to take on the dual roles of...

Every year for the past 20 years I reckon I have asked Garry Quinlivan why he returns each season as the Brumbies assistant manager given it's a volunteer role. “It’s the boys,” he says. He loves being around them; he loves the banter. “Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing the players develop individually and as a team,” says Garry....

Sport in 2020 was a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. Competitions started, stalled and then restarted as COVID-19 took its toll. We saw professional matches without the crowds, grand finals moved interstate, teams in lockdown bubbles and events cancelled or postponed. What didn't change was the passion and commitment of those behind the scenes, and the stories of triumph and...

Following a succession of ducks to launch his first-grade cricket career with Queanbeyan, Peter Solway briefly earned himself the nickname ‘Olympic Rings’. Peter was only 15 years of age at the time and says four or five ducks wasn’t an ideal way to start, but he says he wasn’t overly concerned, nor was captain-coach Garry Samuels. In the ensuing years,...

Five months ago, Glen Turner was diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer. To suggest that it has rocked his world is an understatement. It takes a fair bit to unsettle Glen. A tough New Zealand-raised rugby league player, he is as uncompromising as they come. But as he begins to talk about the impact the diagnosis has had on his...

Players from the Canberra Raiders, including captain Jarrod Croker and Sam Williams, paid a special visit to Crookwell on Tuesday, 24 November. A Raiders spokesperson said the visit provided a chance for the rugby league players to visit the town near to where Croker grew up in Goulburn, and where Sam’s wife, Sarah Gilbert, was raised. Sarah’s father, Ashley, is...

Joan Bratton's life changed forever when she met the late Olympic swimming coach Don Talbot around 1953-1954. Don noticed Joan swimming freestyle with her left arm and doggy paddle with her right arm – the only way she knew how to swim with her disability. Not only was Joan born with Poland syndrome – which meant she had short, webbed fingers and...