Weekend Express
The quotes, stats and storylines to the weekend in sport around Australia.
FOOTBALL
Matildas
Australia play its first of two friendlies against Korean Republic on Friday night in Sydney at Allianz Stadium, before heading up the M1 Freeway early next week for a second clash in Newcastle. The Matildas will be without important trio Karina Gorry, Hayley Raso and Ellie Carpenter for the clashes, which provide more opportunities for other members of the squad.
Korea come into the games having won their last two friendlies comfortably, and didn’t concede a goal in either match. With the Asian Cup a year away, Tillies defender Wini Heatley told HER WAY that putting together good performances against potential opponents is important
“Off the back of some results that didn’t go in our favour, we want to get back to winning ways.”
When: Friday night
Where: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
A-League
The A-League is on a break during the international window, however there will be one match played this weekend, with the Wanderers to host Melbourne Victory in a re-scheduled clash from a couple of weeks ago due to heat.
Victory need a win if they’re any chance of running down crosstown rivals City in the race for the Premiers Plate, while the rivalry continues as striker Emily Gielnik is equal with Matilda Holly McNamara in the race for the Golden Boot.
For the Wanderers, a number of their squad will be full of confidence after spending the last few days at a Young Matildas training camp.
When: Sunday afternoon
Where: Wanderers Park, Sydney
RUGBY UNION
Super W Semi Finals
Five has become four as the Super W season hits the semi finals stage.
After an unconvincing couple of performances to start the season, the Waratahs have scored 36 points in each of their last two games, and they will host Western Force in one semi final. In round two when the sides last met, it was only a last minute try to the NSW side which saw them defeat the underdog Force. In a boost for the Waratahs, Wallaroos teen star Caitlyn Halse is on the bench for her first appearance of the season.
In the other semi, QLD Reds host the 2022-23 champions Fijiana. Fijiana are the only side to have defeated the Waratahs in 2025, but their recent form has been less impressive, losing 47-31 to the Force in their last match two weeks ago.
The Reds are unable to select many of the Aussie Sevens players due to their own tournament in Singapore, however Charlotte Caslick will once again play fullback. In their previous clash this season, the Reds prevailed 22-19 at home.
The winners will face off in the Grand Final at North Sydney Oval next week.
When: Sunday afternoon
Where: Ballymore, Leichhardt Oval
WATER POLO
Australian League Finals
A champion will be crowned on Sunday at Sydney Olympic Park when the Australian League Finals series takes place across the weekend.
Griffith University Queensland Thunder won the title last year with a side stacked with Stingers including Elle Armit, Abby and Charlize Andrews, and while they’re not there in 2025, it’s still a strong side including Paris Olympics star Alice Williams and hero goalkeeper Gabi Palm. Thunder have completed an almost undefeated regular season, suffering their only loss last week in a rescheduled match against Drummoyne after it was rescheduled due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Thunder and fellow top 2 side Sydney University will sit back on Friday and watch the first round of finals, before taking on the elimination final winners on Saturday for a spot in Sunday’s decider.
Plenty of current and hopeful Stingers will be in action, including Paris medalists Keesja Gofers, Zoe Arancini, Dani Jackovich, Gen Longman and Sienna Hearn, and with national coach Bec Rippon looking to name a national squad for this year’s World Champs as well as home friendlies, there’s plenty to play for.
When: Friday - Sunday mornings
Where: Sydney Olympic Aquatic Centre
NETBALL
Super Netball, Round 1
After a pre-season which seems to have lasted a lifetime, and a fascinating off-season, the world’s best netballers finally take to the court this weekend for Round One of Super Netball.
The season starts with what should be a cracking Grand Final rematch between two time defending champs Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens. For both of these sides, the lineups are almost identical to last season, and the T’birds will be hoping they can prove that the curse of winning Team Girls Cup is just a myth.
Melbourne Mavericks will be bringing out the big guns as they host Sunshine Coast Lightning, with pop star Delta Goodrem set to perform.
West Coast Fever welcome the new look Swifts to town on Sunday, and there will be a different look to both shooting circles. There will be no Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard for West Coast (although that may change very soon), while the Swifts have recruited Kiwi superstar Grace Nweke to partner Helen Housby in a star-studded shooting duo.
The Giants will welcome to Ken Rosewall Arena a Firebirds side featuring 201cm Ugandan star Mary Cholhok and English international Imogen Allison.
Giants co-captain Jamie-Lee Price is wary of the new look Firebirds, saying,
“Mary offers so much height and strength , and obviously Imogen is an international player… she’s got so much strength in attack and defence. We’ve acknowledged that, and we’ve got to do the really hard work to get to circle edge, but also we’ve got to win ball before it gets into that goal third.”
When: Saturday, Sunday
Where: Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth
SURF LIFESAVING
National Titles, Gold Coast
After a long summer, it’s the final event of the summer for the country’s best Surf Lifesaving athletes and Ironwomen.
For Hall of Famer Georgia Fitzsimmons, it will be her swan-song, having announced her retirement from the sport. Georgia got her fairytale recently when she won the Shannon Eckstein Ironwoman Masters in her final attempt.
Georgia once claimed an incredible nine gold medals at a single National titles, and will be keen to add more silverware in her final competition.
Meanwhile, Lana Rogers is the defending Nationals Open Ironwoman champion, but after an up and down season, including missing out on the deciding race of the Iron Series after being wiped out by a huge wave, the adopted Northcliffe star will have redemption on her mind.
Some of the sport’s new breed of stars will also feature, including Iron series champion Lucy Derbyshire, and Tiarnee Massie, who has a jam packed program throughout the weekend:
“I’ve got a lot of events, but I’m just targeting the ones the ones that I want, which are the board and the iron and I’m not worrying about anything else.”
When: Friday - Sunday
Where: Kirra Beach, Gold Coast
BASKETBALL
NBL1
With East, South and Central conferences starting last week, this week West join the action, and there are potentially plenty of big names playing in the WA-based conference to get along and see up close.
In Victoria, one clash of interest will be Saturday evening’s clash between Geelong and Ballarat. Geelong have retained a trio of their area’s WNBL players - Jaz Shelley, Gemma Potter, and recent Gangurrus debutant Hannah Hank - and all three starred last week. They’ll play a Ballarat side featuring Bendigo championship winners Abbey Wehrung and Opal Bird.
In the east, it’s a Freeway Derby at Gosford between defending champs Newcastle and their inspirational UC Capitals star Nicole Munger, and Central Coast, whose Opals veteran Leilani Mitchell top scored last weekend.
There are games through NSW, Vic, SA, Tas and WA, so check out the NBL1 site to see where and when.
When: Friday - Monday
Where: Various locations
ATHLETICS
National Age Championships, Perth
Australia’s best junior athletes are gathering in Perth from around the country to compete for National glory, with titles in age groups from U13-U18.
One name to watch is Thewbelle Philp. Competing in the U18 category, Thewbelle will be running the sprint double 200m and 100m. The rising star took out the U17 100m at last year’s National School Championships, was part of the Australian U20 World Champs team alongside names like Claudia Hollingsworth and Torrie Lewis, and earlier this year set an U20 Short Track 60m Oceania Record at the National Championships in Sydney.
When: Friday - Tuesday
Where: Perth
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
Brisbane Bash
The Division 1 and 2 leagues are back for round 2 this weekend at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena across three big days. University of Queensland head into the weekend on top of the table with 20 points, just ahead of their state rivals Bond University, followed by Victoria’s Box Hill.
Bond and Box Hill both feature multiple Female/Non-Binary players, including Paris Paralympic bronze medalists Emilie Miller (Bond) and Shae Graham (Box Hill).
When: Friday - Sunday
Where: Nissan Arena, Brisbane
CRICKET
Australia A v England A, Sydney
After much of the T20 series was washed out last week, the One Dayers got underway on Wednesday at Sydney Olympic Park’s Cricket Central.
Recent Australian debutant Georgia Voll continued her incredible recent form, scoring over half of Australia A’s runs on her way to 137*, while Queensland young gun Sianna Ginger took five wickets.
There are two more 50 over games to take place on Friday and then Monday, with recent senior team tour members Nicole Faltum and Charli Knott also in the squad. Meanwhile the England A squad features players with senior England team and WBBL experience including Alyce Capsey and Issy Wong.
When: Friday
Where: Cricket Central, Sydney Olympic Park
National Indigenous Cricket Champs, Mackay
New South Wales come into the 2025 tournament, which features the best indigenous and Torres Strait island players, as the defending champions after going through last year’s edition undefeated.
The four teams - NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia will play each other twice in preliminary matches to determine rankings before 1st v 4th and 2nd v 3rd semi finals to determine the final.