Australian rugby union is facing further struggles off the field in the congested domestic sporting market, as fears are raised about its future should it lose its major broadcast partner.

Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones says he was barely approached by Rugby Australia to return to Australia and replace outgoing coach Michael Cheika.

Rugby Australia apologises to Israel Folau as part of a confidential settlement reached over his sacking, avoiding a protracted court hearing after the former Wallaby sued for wrongful dismissal.

The Israel Folau fiasco has sucked oxygen and money from rugby at a time it can ill afford it, following years of disasters for the sport. The resulting mess has highlighted just how far the sport has fallen, and how much is at stake, writes Mary Gearin.

Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle dismisses reports that the organisation paid $8 million to Israel Folau to settle a lawsuit over the former Wallaby's dismissal.

Instead of using the "Indigenous" tag, Jarred Hodges called the talent-spotting rugby sevens program "First Nations". And he says it's already making a difference on the field.

In a case echoing the Melbourne Storm's salary cap scandal that saw them stripped of two premierships, English club Saracens is being booted out of top-flight rugby union after rorting the salary cap for three seasons, during which they won two titles.

Rugby Australia's 25-year marriage to Fox Sports looks to be over, with the code's bosses going to the market as early as this week in the hunt for a new broadcast partner.

Former Australian rugby star Israel Folau scores a try on debut for French side Catalan Dragons.

Cameron Clyne ends his stint as Rugby Australia chairman effective immediately, replaced by former Wallaby Paul McLean who will take charge on an interim basis.

Antony Hamilton, who stepped into the artistic director role of Chunky Move in April, presents a five-year vision in the epic, collective new work Token Armies.

Letters, flowers and stuffed toys are placed outside the Kiddy Palace childcare centre in Melbourne's north where police say a three-year-old girl was killed after she was accidentally hit by a car.

New red light cameras in Victoria generate more than $12 million in extra fines, catching out thousands more speedsters and red-light runners. Ten intersections in Melbourne and Geelong have proved particularly lucrative.

Prince of Arran came third in last year's Melbourne Cup, and now the English racehorse who loves Australia wins the Geelong Cup, but a Flemington start is still up in the air.

Truck drivers are slamming their vehicles into a bridge at an unusually frequent rate, and a third crash in a week has been caught on camera today. A community group fears lives are at risk and better warning systems are desperately needed.

Airport authorities are calling for a crackdown on drivers touting their services at the the terminal but one driver says it is the only way he can earn enough money to pay his bills.

Usually by this time of year, there'd be 40,000 mutton birds on south-west Victoria's Griffiths Island. So far, fewer than 100 of the birds have arrived from their 15,000km journey from the northern hemisphere.

Andrew Nabbout scores the winner as Robbie Fowler's Lang Park welcome ends in a meek 1-0 defeat for a misfiring Brisbane Roar.

One of three peregrine falcon chicks that hatched, in front of thousands of online fans, has died in a nest perched high on a Melbourne skyscraper, marking the third year in a row the nest has suffered such a loss.

Saeed Maasarwe said his family is not motivated by revenge over the rape and murder of his daughter Aiia Maasarwe, as he remembered her as a positive woman who wanted to help everybody.

The owner of racehorse Thought of That defends himself against claims of sexism after dropping jockey Linda Meech in favour of Mark Zahra for Saturday's Victoria Derby at Flemington.

Rather than Michelle Payne's 2015 win being the game-changing moment it seemed, female jockeys still beg for the crumbs from the tables of owners and trainers who remain dubious about their capabilities, writes Richard Hinds.

After being dropped from the Victoria Derby in controversial circumstances, Linda Meech has earned a Derby Day reprieve and a chance at some revenge.

An unbeaten half-century from David Warner sees Australia post a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the MCG to clean sweep their three-match T20 series.

For the second time in two days, Victoria Police expresses "extreme disappointment" in one of its officers, this time after alt-right material shared on social media was connected to an officer accused of using a hand gesture associated with white power.

Benalla man Joseph McDonald is charged with one count of murder after handing himself into police on Saturday evening.

The 2019 Melbourne Cup has been won by Australian-owned, trained and bred horse Vow And Declare in a dramatic finish at Flemington, but last-placed Rostropovich is taken to Werribee with a pelvis injury.

As Vow and Declare stormed to his thrilling Melbourne Cup victory, a group of novice part-owners in the Queensland town of Gympie were celebrating a dream come true.

When 40,000 seedlings propagated by prisoners at Loddon Prison were not going to be planted, locals stepped in to make sure the trees would find a home.

Shoppers and workers could try their hand at tapestry, badge making, and flag making during the first Art Break event organised by the City of Bunbury

As thousands gathered across the country for the Light the Dark vigils in support of Syrian asylum seekers, more than 100 people gathered in the small town of Castlemaine in central Victoria.

A new initiative to bring more public art to the streets of Dubbo has started with a series of murals going up this week.

Zombies walk the corridors as a chill fills the air. In Bundaberg that means the air conditioning is set to 'high' in the local shopping centre for the annual Zombie Walk.

Two local leaders who rose to national prominence during the summer bushfires will likely slug it out for the major parties in the Eden Monaro by-election in southern New South Wales.

National Cabinet will meet on Friday to start lifting restrictions in a three stage process to lock in what the Prime Minister is calling "a sustainable COVID safe economy".

The Prime Minister is laying the groundwork for Australia to re-open for business and wants what he calls a "COVID-19 safe economy" by July.

The National Party is again embroiled in bitter infighting after Andrew Constance abandoned his bid for Liberal pre-selection for the seat.

While Australia continues to flatten the curve in this COVID-19 pandemic, there are serious concerns for the mental wellbeing of Australians.

Voters in Eden Monaro are still waiting to find out who the Liberal candidate will be for the by-election in the marginal seat.

Pauline Milich brought her 14th child into the world while helping another woman deliver a baby life was different in the early 1900s.

Catherine Hamlin was born in Sydney. She worked in Ethiopia pioneering medical treatment for young women damaged by unsuccessful childbirth. In 2000, Pauline Newman visited Catherine Hamlin and her famous hospital in Addis Ababa. Catherine Hamlin died in March 2020 at the age of 93. By way of tribute today we revisit Pauline’s program from nearly 20 years ago.

Newly-elected Labor MP Libby Coker says ensuring the Government delivers on their expensive election commitments in Corangamite even though they lost the seat will be her first priority after claiming victory in the Victorian electorate.

Hundreds of abuse survivors could benefit from reforms that will allow them to sue their abusers, even if they signed "unfair" agreements not to take legal action.