Welcome to The Wrap, a weekly podcast covering women's sports news.
Bez, we've got something in your eyelash.
And what have we got around the grounds?
We've got something in our eyelash.
Nicola Oleslagas has become the first Aussie to win back-to-back gold
at the World Indoor Athletic Championships.
Melbourne City is through to the semifinals of the Asian Champions League
and Holly Ranson has become the newest 24-hour Australian champion
running 263.548 kilometres in 24 hours.
I don't like that.
I have an immense amount of respect for that,
but I do not like the thought of that, 24 hours.
An outrageous amount of respect, but wow.
Oh, that's rough.
My feet hurt just thinking about it.
For the key story we'll discuss,
a new seven-a-side women's soccer series
and the prize pool that's expected to be worth $5 million.
When I saw it, when I saw...
I saw sevens and cash.
Hang on, what kind of sevens are we talking about here?
My name is Chloe Dalton.
I'm joined every week on the show by my co-host, Bez.
Oh, my goodness, this Thursday, Jo Weston.
Amazing Aussie diamond netballer and super netballer,
Suncorp super netballer even.
I was down in Melbourne last week.
We caught up on the podcast.
She's got a really cool story.
Her family has a nut farm.
What kind of nuts?
Oh, I love a macadamia.
Something else and chestnuts.
And she said, told me to never eat a chestnut in polite words.
Chestnuts are weird.
Aren't they like a Christmas thing?
Yeah, I don't know.
Chestnuts roasting on the somewhere.
We talked about much more than nuts,
but I thought that was kind of random and I was here for it.
Your women's sport and nut podcast.
We are recording on Gadigal land.
Let's take a look around the grounds.
We are so good at athletics these days.
Australian women.
Well, the boys are doing all right, but the women, they kill it.
Australia has broken its record medal tally at the World Athletics Indoor Championship,
winning five medals, as we say, three of which were won by women.
High jumper Nicola Oleslagas has become the first Australian to win back-to-back gold
at the indoor championships, clearing the 1.97 meter mark flawlessly to do so.
Fellow Aussie Eleanor Patterson, she cleared the same height because I saw,
I saw the results and I was like, hang on a second, but it's always a count back, isn't
It's just like school athletics all over again.
Patterson missed in the high jump.
Show me the tunnel ball.
Patterson missed earlier at 1.92, which is just rough, isn't it?
When you know you can clear two, she can clear two, right, Patterson?
Gold and silver to the Aussies.
Meanwhile, Jessica Hull opened her 2025 season with a statement performance when racing to
bronze in the women's 3,000 meters, clocking 8.38.28 to finish behind the USA's Shelby
Fulhan and Ethiopia's Praweni Hailu.
I thought my time reading was quite good then.
Did it sound good?
It was good, but you skipped the other two times because you were like, that's enough
time reading for one sentence.
Because I thought I did one well, and so I'm just going to cut it at that.
A bit while you're ahead, friend.
Leaving nothing to chance.
When leading for the majority of the race, Hull proved that she is here to stay on the
global podium, upgrading her fourth place finish from the 2024 World Athletics Indoor
Championships in Glasgow.
We love Jess Hull.
In some ultramarathon news, as we spoke about, Australian Holly Ranson has become the newest
24-hour running champion at the Australian National 24-Hour Championships.
Have you ever heard of that?
That sounds so rough.
It's very impressive.
Obviously, ultramarathon, I know, is getting definitely more mainstream.
I'm sure it's always been there.
But I've seen more about it recently.
All I can keep thinking about is the chafe.
Well done, Holly.
Kirstie did the old Oxfam trial walk thing.
Yeah, and the blisters on her feet, you could have landed a helicopter on them.
It's just, so yeah, these people are amazing.
263.548 kilometers in 24 hours.
New Australian record.
New Australian record and became the Australian champ and the third fastest female in 24-hour
performance history.
What could you do for 24 hours straight?
Play Lego on Xbox?
Yes, if you gave me enough.
You're such a nerd.
Is that what it is?
What could you do?
You are mostly koala.
5% athlete, 95% sleeping koala.
In some football news, Melbourne City have charged into the semifinals of the inaugural
Women's Asian Champion League with a comfortable 3-0 win over Taiwanese club, Tai Ching Blue
What a way to celebrate the very first Women's Champion League game on Australian soil.
Oh, I'm excited to talk about the cash in this thing because holy moly.
Well, there's a bit of cash throughout today's rap, isn't there?
Yes, I'm always here for it.
Mariana Speckmeyer scored in the fourth minute before a blue whale own goal in the 40th minute.
Sorry, it's just the blue whale makes me laugh.
You were visualizing a blue whale on a soccer field?
Yes, just off the tail into the net.
Well, like the rest of the body is not going to move a huge amount.
But you could head like off the head of the blue whale into the net.
Can we, producer Soph, can you please find some whales playing soccer?
Thank you kindly.
Holly McNamara won a penalty and converted it in the 63rd minute to decide the quarterfinal
in front of 1,865 fans and Amy Park.
On top of City's pursuit of glory in Asia, there's an additional financial incentive
for the women's who will take home roughly $1.95 million.
How huge is that?
City players could be set to land 50 grand each should they go all the way.
For some of them, that's got to double.
I don't actually know what the minimum's at in the A-League women's.
It would absolutely double their income.
That's some big cash, isn't it?
City will play South Korean club Incheon Red Angels in May,
but will first be looking to lock up the A-League women's title
for this season as well as the minor premiership.
Love to see the money invested.
Going back to the athletes as well.
In some more football news, you have a Champions League another week,
another poor quality football pitch, and this time it was in Spain
as Real Madrid beat Arsenal 2-0 in the first leg
of their Champions League quarterfinal.
Madrid struck on the counter in the 22nd minute
as Caroline Weir picked the ball up in the middle of the park
and unlocked Linda Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian shrugged off Emily Fox to slot the opener.
Madrid broke through again in the final minutes of the game
when substitute Athena del Castillo buried the ball past
Zinberger's outstretched glove, leaving the final score as 2-0.
So the pitch at Estadio Alfredo de Stefano,
I just got very poorly Spanish there, is deemed an elite surface by UEFA.
It's where Real Madrid's reserve team,
however, it deteriorated really badly before the game following a pretty heavy,
it has to be said, the weather was pretty ordinary leading up to it.
So yeah, it just, it wasn't up to standard.
Obviously the drainage isn't there because the water that remained
on the pitch was pretty intense.
So Gunners boss, Rene Slegers, said the pitch played a part
in the defeat while Real midfielder Melanie Lippols came off injured
with what looked like a serious knee injury after slipping off the ball.
That's because like we had the discussion last week right around the pitch.
And the bubble of the ball and how it can change the game when the conditions
of the pitch could potentially cause such a serious injury.
That's taking it to another level for me.
When that surface is unstable, that's when it gets really scary.
So Arsenal player Beth Mead told me that it's disappointing
for a quarterfinal of a Champions League.
It's a pitch that both of us and Real Madrid had to play on.
And so it's and it's not just the state of the pitch.
It's for the safety of the players.
And it was not ideal.
Melanie Lippols went down injured off the ball because she slipped on the pitch.
I hope she's all right.
In a bit of rugby news, the Queensland Reds have held off a late surge
from the A.C.T. Brumbies to win 26 to 22 in round four of the Super W.
The match began with the Brumbies taking an early lead as fly half
Vitaly Mileka successfully kicked a penalty goal in the seventh minute.
This prompted the Reds to rally.
And in the 24th minute, outside center Faith Manera scored
the first try of the match and of her Super W career.
Unfortunately, she just signed with rugby league.
Oh, I mean, good.
Unfortunately, for our my game.
But yeah, my game.
The Reds eventually saw success again as tight head prop Eva Kapani.
Oh, she came off the back fence.
Oh, I haven't seen it. I need to watch it.
A little short ball from Lane Morgan.
Proper Eva stars like when Eva gets within 15 minutes of the try line.
You get the red mistakes over.
Comes not necessarily off the back fence because it's 70 meters away.
However, feels like she's coming off the back fence.
And yeah, just the the the car was in full go mode.
The Reds led the Brumbies 14, 12 at halftime.
And then the second half started explosively for the Reds,
who quickly scored two tries within a matter of minutes.
One for winger Piper Flynn on debut.
We'll get Tiana Malloy then scored, stretching that lead even further.
They led 26 to 15, entering the final stages of the game before the host
nailed penalty, then scored a brilliant try courtesy of Biola.
The Dawa to make it a four point game with seven minutes to play.
But it was the Reds who would hold on.
We're outright first on 10.
I just want to but drew and Reds are behind us.
Drew a loss last night to Perth.
So the Western Four in Perth, sorry, so drew a loss to Western Force last night,
so they have a buy next the buy next week, so they will not get any more points.
So yeah, it's going to be very close next week.
The Reds play the force and we play the Brumbies.
Yeah, basically the winner out of the.
Reds and the force will finish second, I believe.
Yeah, as long as we win.
OK, so it has been overall super W this season.
I'll say it 100 times.
Season's way too short.
It's been really competitive.
So let's have a full home and away season next year, please.
And thank you like these games have been good.
Twenty six, twenty two last night, I think, and score was forty six.
Thirty one to the force.
Great game of rugby.
Give us more in boxing.
Ozzie Sky Nicholson has suffered her first defeat as a professional.
After losing her WBC World featherweight championship title
in a shock split decision defeat to Tiara Brown, the American upset Nicholson
as the co in the co main event in Sydney, edging a tight contest
after the ten round battle was scored ninety six, ninety four, ninety four,
ninety six and ninety seven, ninety three by the judges.
Oh, the split decision hurts.
The split decision is so rough, isn't it?
And the lead up to this fight was actually quite amazing.
Like I know there's a big part of it with in boxing.
Like, I feel like there's a responsibility on the athletes
to build hype because they want to be selling tickets.
It's more cash in their pockets.
They want more people. Exactly right.
But it was like I every time I saw a video, I was so into it.
You're pumped. Yeah, I was so pumped because I think Sky has really built
a name for herself in in that industry, I guess you'd say.
She's worked hard on her profile. Yeah.
And Brown was just like nonstop, just like trash talking her.
And the way I just I would love to know the strategy, you know, like with Sky
going into the weigh ins, like, no.
Knowing what Brown was going to be like and just going, I'm going to be
I'm just going to smile and wave and like, laugh it off.
It was just yeah, it just was I don't know the dynamic of it.
I found it really interesting.
So the fact that she lost was a surprise to me.
So Nicholson started brightly in front of her home fans.
Brown swiftly forced the fight to be up close and personal.
She managed to engineer her path to her first world title triumph.
In cricket, Australia have crushed New Zealand by 82 runs,
claim their first ever T20.
International Series in New Zealand.
They mustn't have played many there, surely.
Savage. But I was thinking the same thing.
Australia opened the batting and Beth Mooney's 40 ball 70
got them off to a perfect start.
Backed up by hand contributions from Georgia Vole, who scored 36
and Elise Perry with 29 not out.
Australia were three for 204 after 20 overs.
This marked the highest total in women's T20s in New Zealand.
A difficult target set for the Kiwis became even more difficult
after Susie Bates was dismissed.
For 12 and Sophie Devine went for a cheap duck.
When Sophie Devine goes for a duck, you're in trouble, I reckon.
Don't mind some cheap duck.
Oh, duck pancake.
How good's a duck pancake?
I haven't had a duck pancake in ages.
We actually do a yum jar.
We absolutely are.
Sorry, back to the cricket.
Annabelle Sutherland took four wickets for eight runs from 2.1 overs,
while Alana King took three for 27 to run through the hosts.
The win means Australia takes a 2-0 lead in the three-game series.
And their first T20 international series win, as we said, in New Zealand,
with their five previous campaigns.
Oh, we were so wrong.
Three wins and two draws.
Yeah, New Zealand won three times and there were two draws.
So they've actually been way better than us over there.
Must have been one and done series.
Sorry to the New Zealand listeners.
She can't be impartial about sport rivalries, I don't think.
Oh, I do love the Kiwis in some sports.
Cricket's probably not one of them.
I love snow sports.
I love Kiwis in snow sports.
They must do some snowing.
Aussie snowboarders Josie Baffin and Adam Lambert have finished second
in the mixed team event at the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup.
The women's leg of the third quarterfinal was crucial after a close men's leg,
but it was no challenge for Baffin,
who took the lead almost immediately to finish first in that leg.
Piera D'Souza had a blistering start and was soon leading the pack with Baff second
and the USA and Canada trailing behind.
Baff managed to come past French woman Leah Custer on the inside,
and some good work in the last set of rollers gave her enough of an advantage
to secure second place behind Piera.
Put it on the barbie.
Baff is the only rider to reach the podium in the two mixed team races to have
taken place this season.
After winning in Ezra and Turquoise earlier this month alongside
Cameron Bolton from Australia in surfing at the 2025.
Do you ever read that sometimes and think,
can we talk about how it's April next week?
we can't cause that's not okay.
It was your son's fifth five month birthday the other day.
I cannot believe we have a five month or should I have said,
I cannot believe you didn't text to say happy five months free five months.
How is that that time?
So if we digress,
at the 2025 Portugal pro Caroline Marks has claimed her seventh to a
victory in a tight final against Hawaii's Gabriella Brian on route to the
dispatched Aussie Molly pickling and their semifinal clash pickling hunted
but she couldn't find the exit on any of her attempts.
Despite pickling sitting with the priority for the majority of the heat,
the opportunities were few and far between marks relied on her backhand for
one big maneuver.
And it was enough to edge out pickling who was left wanting the old
nature tough pickling did however,
emerge victorious in an all Aussie quarterfinal against fellow Aussie Tyler,
They're just Tyler and Molly are surfing.
They're constantly in finals at the moment.
seven waves picking up best scores of 6.8,
three and 6.1 while the best right could manage was 4.6 to lose on a two
You and I both know from our experiences in sport,
just how hard it can be.
To make it as an elite athlete,
you more elite than me,
we both do know how hard it is.
What do you think?
Some of the biggest financial barriers are travel for games,
and most importantly,
And that is why our partners at Athena have launched the Athena fueling futures
I love this concept.
So the fueling futures program is designed to support female athletes who are
on the cusp of going pro Athena will select five athletes to each receive
How good is that?
That is some good cash.
It's that plus an incredible Athena nutrition,
merch and nutrition consulting bundle.
If that sounds like you apply now via the link in our show notes or send it
entries close April 14th.
That sounds like all of our listeners get around it.
Let's take a look at the key story.
a new seven aside women's soccer series,
not rugby sevens has been announced.
With each event report reportedly to feature a $5 million prize pool.
not even just the whole series,
According to the guardian,
the series known as world sevens football,
w seven F I like that.
I feel like it feels like an English postcode with,
with will consist of invitation or grand slam at tournaments.
The zone will broadcast the series with matches consisting of two 15 minute halves and extra time.
a level cool on a full size pitch.
I feel like I've seen a mock-up and I thought it looked smaller,
but it was like a drone angle.
So I have no idea.
Cause 15 minute halves on a full size,
full size pitch with only seven of you.
Sounds like seven.
They give me a new set of lungs.
Is this the first time football soccer has done something like this football,
trying to appeal for all the audiences,
I'm not sure if it's the first modified version of the football because,
most sports have some have some right.
How many sports could you name besides football,
soccer that haven't that haven't done it?
I guess kind of has no tennis had that we lost five.
they did have a fast something tennis.
And then if you actually kind of say that padel and yes.
And the other one,
Rugby league has nines AFL had nines.
Was that nines as well?
Was that that didn't go so well.
Both of those had nines.
Rugby obviously has sevens.
soccer obviously has foosball like indoor soccer.
There will be a commitment to invest a hundred million us dollars over a five
including funding from COVID.
And we are getting ready for the end of the year for the tournament.
let's all come out of Europe and the European tournament.
everybody's got their money where it's at.
We've got 200,000,
300,000 now posted for the year.
we've got 100,000,
200,000 now posted,
200,000 people who are watching,
they're watching this thing.
And we're watching this.
I have to play a while.
And I have to play.
I've got to play.
While the sides involved in the first eight-team competition
have not been confirmed, according to The Guardian,
Angel City are one of two likely representatives from the US
and Germany's Bayern Munich are among a contingent
of elite European clubs keen on participating.
$5 million, I'm pretty sure everyone's keen on participating.
Putting their hand up.
But cool to get like you're going to get some seriously
quality opposition, right?
You're going to get the best of the best because, again,
you're incentivising them with good money.
The inaugural tournament will take place just before
the UEFA Women's Champions League final,
ruling out the two finalists.
And also clashes with the CONCACAF Women's Champions Cup,
ruling out those sides.
That's a bit weird from a scheduling perspective, is it?
The calendar is so jam-packed.
Yeah, that's like good luck finding a hole.
It's believed a new set of clubs will compete in the second event,
which will be staged on a different continent
at the end of the year.
So it sounds like because there aren't many holes,
in the calendar, they will give multiple options
for clubs to get around the money.
Organisers hope to increase the number of tournaments held next year
and are eyeing cities across the globe, including the US,
Mexico, Asia and Europe.
W7F will be guided by a Player Advisory Council.
I rate that, which is being led by two-time FIFA Women's World Cup
winner Tobin Heath and also includes former players
Anita Asante, Lauren Georges, Kelly O'Hara and Caroline Seager.
World Sevens Football Chief of Strategy and Bay FC co-founder
Ali Wagner told The Guardian,
the 7v7 format is one the players love.
It's one of their favourite things to do in training,
the small-sided games, and it's one that I think fans
will end up clamouring for.
It's so intense, action-packed, and it's all the stuff
that players love.
1v1 duels, shots and goals.
Let's take a look at what to watch.
More football soccer.
Arsenal will be looking to avenge their 2-0 loss in Game 1
when they host Real Madrid.
Hopefully on a better pitch for the second leg of the
UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
The match kicks off this Thursday, the 27th, at 7am.
And you can watch it live and free on YouTube
via the DAZN Sports channel.
Love live and free.
In cricket, Australia will be looking for a series sweep
and they play their third and final T20 match
against New Zealand this Wednesday.
Did I just say that with a Kiwi accent?
It's rubbing off.
It was a matter of time.
After winning the first...
The first two quite convincingly.
The match begins Wednesday at 12.45 AEDT.
You can watch all the action live on KOSports.
Hong Kong Sevens.
Great Sevens tournament.
It is back for another year and the Aussie Sevens women
will be looking to kick off their campaign with a bang
when they face Spain on Friday.
The game begins at 1.53pm AEDT
and you can watch it live on StanSport.
In rugby, the final round of Super W is here
and the New South Wales Waratahs will be looking to cement
their position at the top of the table.
When they face the winless ACT Brumbies on Friday night.
The match begins at 5.50pm AEDT
and you can also watch that on StanSport.
When we say winless Brumbies,
Raph, they've had a draw.
They lost in the final seconds to Fiji
and they went down by four points to the Reds.
I know when you hear winless, it sounds savage, but...
They've been really close.
They've been quality, haven't they?
They're going to be so pumped for Friday.
Yes, they will be.
And we always play terribly at GIO.
But we won't this week.
In more football soccer,
Sydney Derby time in the Women's A-League
with the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Hosting Sydney FC also on Friday night.
It's a sporting smorgasbord.
The game kicks off at 7pm
and you can watch it live on Paramount Plus
after you have a really big breath.
And that's the wrap.
See you next week.