In regional towns across Australia sport is an important thread binding communities together, but for veterans living with injuries and PTSD, being on a team is even more important. That connection can be a lifeline.

PHILLIP Hughes’ older brother Jason has made an emotional return to grade cricket and scored 63 _ the score his sibling was on when his life effectively finished.

AUSTRALIA have won two Tests but looks set to make two changes for Boxing Day, with Mitchell Marsh unlikely to be fit and Ryan Harris confident.

BOO Weekley shot to the lead in the opening round of the Australian PGA Championship yesterday.

Stewards have passed the Randwick surface fit for racing.

ADAM Scott got the fast start he craved.

THE cold-shooting NZ Breakers have crashed to their heaviest loss of the NBL season in Cairns but cling to the top of the standings.

It's an impressive feat — but just how did the Canberra Capitals go from back-to-back losses to championship glory in the space of a year?

WADE Ormsby has spent years picking the brain of Adam Scott and days enjoying his hospitality on Queensland's Gold Coast.

SPARE us the coincidences. Everything was adding up to 63 after the Phillip Hughes tragedy. Everything else was equalling 408.

VIRAT Kohli last month launched his own 3D animation on his website. It features him as a manga superhero with a magical cricket bat.

ALASTAIR Cook has been stripped of the England one-day captaincy two months before the Cricket World Cup, and replaced by Eoin Morgan.

DEBUT skipper Steve Smith named man of the match in Australia’s victory at the Gabba. ROLLING COVERAGE

Australia's most decorated cyclist, Cadel Evans, handed the baton to his young teammate Rohan Dennis yesterday.

Following a shocking month of controversy, the Matildas finally have an interim coach, with former Socceroo Ante Milicic to take charge of the team through to the end of the Women's World Cup in July.

NEWCASTLE’S long wait for a first win the season is over with a late Jeronimo Neumann strike sealing a shock 2-1 win over Adelaide United.

THE Origin tug of war over Souths half Luke Keary is finally over with NSW naming him yesterday in an emerging squad for 2015.

West Coast are focused on one thing, beating Adelaide at Subiaco Oval on Sunday despite their destiny being largely out of their control, according to coach Adam Simpson.

The AFL women's league is growing ever more popular; this round drew impressive crowds at the weekend, but also its fair share of controversy, writes Kate O'Halloran.

CRICKET is stopping all the time: no game has such an action-to-waiting quotient.

CAMERON Smith is expected to miss the opening month of next year’s premiership with an ankle injury.

THE ceasefire between Australian and India finally ended yesterday when David Warner and Varun Aaron clashed.

ARCHIE Thompson’s superb hat-trick has earned Melbourne Victory a point in a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw with Sydney FC.

IF Australia wins this Test it will be because of three amazing efforts in the first innings, but none was more important than David Warner’s.

ONE problem is seemingly solved, but another looms just around the corner for Western Sydney.