The Algorithm Age

One thing is certain when Wimbledon rolls around each year – aside from, y'know, the tennis. It's that the crowd at the tournament is inevitably dotted with famous faces , be they Hollywood stars, influencers or icons of the sporting world. Some are even lucky enough to wind up in the famous Royal Box , sitting in the presence of actual royalty at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. READ MORE:  The Aussie dressing royalty: 'Often they'll buy things themselves' After seeing the photos, you might have quietly pondered: how, exactly, does a David Beckham or an Olivia Rodrigo end up in the prestigious section when they aren't a royal? The hottest ticket in town The Royal Box, a Wimbledon institution since 1922, is a strictly invite-only section next to the stadium's Centre Court that sits 74 people, with no tickets available to the public. As you can guess from the name, members of the British and overseas roy...

Wimbledon 2025 day four is underway and the royal box is already packed with a star-studded guest list made up of TV presenters, actors and sports stars. Day four of the world-famous tennis tournament features a packed schedule with a raft of British players in action, including Jack Draper and Dan Evans , the latter taking on Novak Djokovic on Centre Court . Yesterday, Emma Raducanu headlined a brilliant day for British tennis at Wimbledon that also saw wins for Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie. Beyond the tennis, there have been plenty of famous faces for fans to spot, with the likes of Dave Grohl , Olivia Rodrigo and John Cena showing up on day three . The opening day at SW19 saw England football icons Sir David Beckham and Gareth Southgate rub shoulders with actors Eddie Redmayne and Jason Isaacs. Perhaps the biggest draw on day four is Bear Grylls , the infamous adventurer and TV presenter. The royal box, situated in the prime-vi...

Queensland Police have been handed a covert recording in which it is alleged a representative of a Chinese investment group asks a player at an NPL club to engage in match-fixing – and even provides instructions on how he could manipulate a game without being caught. The audio file has been submitted to Football Australia, Football Queensland and the police as investigations continue into a suspected failed betting scheme at Gold Coast United , the former A-League club previously owned by billionaire Clive Palmer which now participates in the Queensland NPL, the state’s top men’s division. This masthead revealed last week that a match between third-placed Gold Coast United and second-placed rivals Moreton City Excelsior had been called off just hours before it was to begin, as football authorities learned of a suspected plot to lure players into a match-fixing operation. Multiple sources with knowledge of what took place, who spoke to this masthead on ...

The Supreme Court will decide whether transgender women and girls can compete in women’s sports after taking up yet another case that could have far-reaching impacts for trans Americans. Justices have agreed to hear cases involving two trans students, Becky Pepper-Jackson and Lindsay Hecox, who challenged state bans in their respective home states of West Virginia and Idaho. Both athletes — now 15 and 24 years old, respectively — won court-ordered injunctions that blocked state officials from forcing them out of women’s sports. This fall, the nation’s highest court will hear arguments from both sides over whether those bans are constitutional, with a ruling expected to have nationwide implications. In 2023, the Supreme Court voted 7-2 to temporarily block West Virginia from banning Becky, then 12 years old, from competing on her middle school’s track and field team while legal challenges played out. The ruling marked the first time that the justices had weighed in t...

READ MORE: Coco Gauff breaks her silence following first round Wimbledon exit In a welcome boost for tennis stars, Wimbledon announced a record prize pot of $73million for this year's tournament - with singles champions set to take home a cool $4.1million. The sum represents an increase on the $3.6m taken home by last year's champions but, for one star, the Wimbledon title would prove far more significant than the stunning prize money. US star Emma Navarro, who was raised in New York, boasts a personal fortune so vast that the tournament's prize money would be like short change to her. Emma is the daughter of wealthy American billionaire investment tycoon, Ben Navarro, and the tennis star is quietly sitting on a $3.8bn inheritance. Tycoon Ben, 62, married to Emma's mother Kelly, built his billionaire empire thanks to numerous business ventures, most notably being the founder and owner of Sherman Financial Group, which has assets such as Cr...

There’s not much time left for Goldberg ‘s last dance against Gunther for the coveted World Heavyweight Championship. The duo will collide in Atlanta next weekend at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12. But ever since it was made official, the majority of the fans and wrestling critics aren’t over the moon with it being the working plan. However, 5-time World Champion Booker T has to say something about those naysayers. On his Hall of Fame podcast, the 60-year-old called out Goldberg’s contemporaries and explained how their whining is unjustified. The Hall of Famer asked those veterans to calm down, as they, too, would have accepted it in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. Furthermore, Booker T admitted he would have done it for sure. So anybody out there complaining can just shut the hell up. Seriously, because I know if they would have called me, I would have did it. And I know just about anybody that’s in that position, t...

Former Irish Olympic swimming coach George Gibney, who was arrested in the US on Tuesday, will appear before a US court on July 11 to either fight or accede to extradition to Ireland. Mr Gibney, who is now in his 70s, is facing a total of 79 charges relating to historical sex abuse allegations. Of these, 78 are for indecent assault while one is for attempted rape, court documents filed at the District Court of Orlando, Florida, have shown. These charges relate to allegations made by four girls. They were all aged between eight and 15 at the time and were being coached by Gibney at the time of the alleged abuse. Gibney remains in custody in the US. Speaking yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin praised the cooperation of members of the gardaí with the US justice system. The allegations regarding Gibney were highlighted in a BBC podcast which was released over five years ago. The Garda National Protective Services Bureau has been wo...

In a side decimated by players withdrawn for State of Origin duties, the Broncos are set to usher in an unheralded debutant for a crucial clash with the Bulldogs. Ben Talty arrived from the North Sydney Bears midseason on a train-and-trial deal through to the end of 2026, having amassed 85 games in the New South Wales Cup. Named at 19th man for Friday night, he will replace Corey Jensen, out with a calf injury. Talty’s call-up continues coach Michael Maguire’s habit of forging careers. “We’ve got some good stories. Ben Talty came in here about a month ago, he’s put his head down and is going to be on the bench,” Maguire said. “He reminded me about how special rugby league is. “I was able to sit with him yesterday and talk about how he was going to debut. The big fella had a few tears and gave me a big squeeze, and it actually gave me a real sense of what it really means to play. ‘He’s been trying, he’s 26 now, so it just goes to show how ...

Clayton Kershaw achieved another huge milestone in his career on Wednesday night. The 3-time Cy Young Award winner entered the 3,000 strikeout club, becoming just the 20th different pitcher in MLB to cross this huge mark. The southpaw has been one of the most influential figures in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ history. During the offseason, he signed another one-year deal with the team and entered his 18th season with the LA-based franchise. In recent years, Kershaw has struggled with several injuries. In the championship-winning season last year, the veteran only managed to play 7 total games and s pent the majority of the time on the sidelines . With his 22 strikeouts last season, Kershaw started this year at 2,968 K’s and needed 32 more to reach the 3,000 strikeout milestone. Ahead of the game on Wednesday, the 37-year-old needed just 3 more strikeouts to join this exclusive club. The historic moment came at the top of the 6th inning. He would strike out the Chic...

Richmond champion Matthew Richardson remains confident that veteran key forward Tom Lynch has a role to play for the club going forward, despite his struggles in 2025. The 32-year-old was suspended for five games for punching Adelaide defender Jordon Butts, during a statless first half in round 16. Lynch has kicked 19 goals this season, ranked second at the club, and remains in talks about playing on in 2026. READ MORE: Cobbo reality that Lockyer doesn't want to hear READ MORE: Three in limbo as Aussies grab $135m piece of NBA pie READ MORE: Underdog Aussie primed to take down Sinner at Wimbledon However, Richmond's greatest modern goal kicker Matthew Richardson believes Lynch has a key role to play when he returns in 2025 and even into 2026. The Tigers have a number of key forwards on their list outside of the veteran, but they are all at the beginning of their careers. Liam Fawcett (20 year's old), Jonty Fau...

It was love at first sight for Australian pop singer Cody Simpson and 14-time Olympic medallist Emma McKeon. We all know the classic Pretty Brown Eyes sung by Cody in 2013, but what took fans by surprise was when the 28-year-old dived into the world of competitive swimming, qualifying for the Commonwealth Games in 2022. On the other hand, Emma McKeon has been a fixture in the swimming world, competing since the age of 12 and now, at 30 years old, has collected 14 Olympic medals. Scroll on as we look back at the couple’s romance. How did Cody Simpson and Emma McKeon meet? In early May 2022, as Cody dived into the competitive swimming world, he was training for the Commonwealth Games, where he first crossed paths with Emma. Keeping their relationship on the down low, the pair didn’t become ‘Instagram Official’ until July 2022, when Cody posted photos from their trip to Spain. “A brief rendezvous in Barcelona with my love. @emmamckeon,” he wrote. Two mo...