Todays in Sports News – April 7th, 2025

AFL

• A responsible government would negotiate a new deal with the AFL, independent MLC Meg Webb says.
• A Hobart City Council report has raised serious concerns about any move by the state government to abandon its Project of State Significance assessment of the Macquarie Point stadium and introduce special legislation.
• In 2025 and beyond, Ray White will sponsor five different AFL teams across four states: reigning premiers, the Brisbane Lions, reigning minor premiers, the Sydney Swans, 2023 premiers, the Collingwood Magpies, the Port Adelaide Power and the Adelaide Crows. Ray White Western Australia will also support Fremantle and the West Coast Eagles with LED signage across all games.
• Adelaide Oval and NRMA Insurance have announced the insurer will become the Official Major Partner of the iconic stadium, with the venue’s Southern Plaza set to be renamed.

Cricket

• Tauranga’s Bay Oval will host Black Caps T20s against Australia in October to kick off a packed pre-Christmas schedule, before another two-month hiatus for men’s international cricket at the height of the home summer.

Football

• ‘The Newcastle Herald understands over 25,000 tickets have been sold for Australia’s international showdown with Korea Republic kicking off at 7.30pm’

NRL

• The Canterbury Bulldogs and South Sydney Rabbitohs play at Homebush on Good Friday with officials predicting a crowd approaching 60,000 for a blockbuster game between the traditional Easter rivals and two of the premiership’s form outfits.

Details of the WA Gov offer for the NRL – 20m for COE at Malaga Sports Preinct – 35m over 5 years towards grassroots through schools and clontarf foundation – gameday support package

Also – never intended a JV with the NRL – WA Gov felt the NRL should have continued to negotiate with the private consortium

Racing

• Perth Racing has scrapped widely promoted plans to build a landmark grandstand at Belmont Park’s historic racecourse after revealing financial strain would quash the $120 million project.

Rugby

• Something feels off about New Zealand Rugby’s breezy dismissal of Australia’s seemingly well-intentioned proposal to introduce an Anzac Day Bledisloe Cup test in a bid to capture a slice of attention at a poignant juncture on the sporting calendar.
• A former chair of the Wellington Rugby Football Union (WRFU) has warned that the troubled union is “technically insolvent” after years of overspending and needs to sell its Hurricanes shareholding and slash overheads simply to keep going.
• The formation of a new rugby union club in Far North Queensland has breathed life back into a sport that has struggled in recent years.
• Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh says the national body can wipe off its $60m debt by the end of 2025 and invest in the grassroots of the sport.

Super Netball

• It feels obvious that the best way Netball can attract more eyeballs moving forward is to amplify the personalities of its game.

Supercars

• Two of North Queensland’s favourite sports will finally be paired together in July after Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Australia and Supercars joined forces to deliver what could be Townsville’s biggest weekend of the year.

TV Ratings

• OzTAM, the industry’s provider of the VOZ Total TV currency, today announced partnerships with Samba TV and Nexxen, marking the launch of a proof-of-concept (POC) project to explore revolutionary new measurement possibilities for Australia’s media industry.

Overseas

• In the last six months of 2024, sports fans watched nearly 950 million hours of sport on Sky, with football holding its position as the most-watched sport, followed by cricket.
• The National Football League has announced an expansion of its Global Markets Program (GMP) with the Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks joining the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams with rights across both Australia and New Zealand.