http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/hayley-byrnes/ Ever since Hayley was a kid palming off the local Maori boys during makeshift rugby league games in South Auckland, she’s always had a passion for all things competitive. In her head the Warriors are amazing, the Australian Open is Christmas, Test cricket is heavenly. Having worked for close to a decade in the media, predominantly in publishing and TV/radio, she now split her time between writing and being glued to various sports on the box. You can find her at http://game-face.net/ and on Twitter @haylohaylz en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Once-upon-a-time-in-a-land-feminism-forgot/ In an era where WAGS are heard instead of being seen and female Olympians struggle for sponsorship, it’s fair to say women involved in Aussie sport are sliding down a slippery slope. To further aid the confusion, last week the Australian LFL founder Mitchell Mortaza announced a rebranding to the “sport” by changing its original name Lingerie Football League to Legends Football League. See I’d always thought Warnie and rugby league great Mal Meninga were legends. Clearly I was mistaken. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Hayley Byrnes) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Once-upon-a-time-in-a-land-feminism-forgot/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Once-upon-a-time-in-a-land-feminism-forgot/#item10716 Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:45:54 +0000 Hayley Byrnes | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/He-would-bet-on-his-laptop-while-we-were-in-bed/ In light of the latest developments coming out from the NRL regarding Ben Barba, rumours are now running rife that on top his well now well documented relationship breakdown with the mother of his children, he could also be suffering from a gambling problem. This hits home for me because I despise sports gambling, it sickens me. I personally have spent the darkest of hours with a sports gambling addict. Without delving into too much personal detail out of respect to this person, I can however say that for a number of years I battled with my live in boyfriend’s gambling addiction. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Hayley Byrnes) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/He-would-bet-on-his-laptop-while-we-were-in-bed/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/He-would-bet-on-his-laptop-while-we-were-in-bed/#item10674 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:55:49 +0000 Hayley Byrnes | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-time-to-start-barracking-for-Bernard/ Ok, so to put it bluntly I’m really over hearing about how Bernard Tomic is an arrogant wanker, how he needs to grow up and concentrate on his game, yada yada… Not since Lleyton Hewitt won the US Open in 2001 has there been such anticipation of a local player. Claiming victory in Sydney the year prior, in 2000, Hewitt remains the youngest male to have won the title in Sydney. Old mate Tomic just did this on Saturday night with his first ATP title showing a solid performance and registering a top-50 status in only five days and last night he backed it up again with his first round win over Leonardo Mayer. But stuff all that! He’s a dick right? Owns a yellow Ferrari – clearly a douche – has hot girlfriends, and is fond of a drunken early morning fight spa. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Hayley Byrnes) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-time-to-start-barracking-for-Bernard/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/its-time-to-start-barracking-for-Bernard/#item10401 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:55:37 +0000 Hayley Byrnes | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-sad-truth-about-sportsmen-and-depression/ They’re young, women flock to them, kids want to be them and they have bank accounts the majority of us can only dream of. Being an athlete for some, is aspirational as fronting Coldplay or starring in a Twilight movie, but over the years for a few of these local sports stars, sitting right alongside their expensive watches and foreign cars, lies a transparent side effect few talk about. Depression. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Hayley Byrnes) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-sad-truth-about-sportsmen-and-depression/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/The-sad-truth-about-sportsmen-and-depression/#item10205 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:39:59 +0000 Hayley Byrnes | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/were-a-nation-of-stitched-up-prudes/ Now that the furrowed brow has finally vanished off of my face, I’ve calmed down after being wound up by the revelation that an Under-20’s league team were indeed being trained by a former “porn-fetish” star. The irritation wasn’t so much the fact that these young men were being trained by someone who possesses a set of photos under her bed that could rival the images on RedTube, but instead I was more cheesed off that there were calls from some of the local Queensland community to ban her from any further club involvement. I’m all too happy to admit I thrive on a tabloid sporting sex scandal like most, and it appeared somewhat welcoming reading over my morning latte, that is up until I’d gotten past the enthralling headline to the facts. Mrs Kortney Olson, wife of Gold Coast Titans CEO David May, once upon a time flirted with cinematic photography in the explicit variety. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Hayley Byrnes) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/were-a-nation-of-stitched-up-prudes/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/were-a-nation-of-stitched-up-prudes/#item10141 Tue, 04 Dec 2012 01:20:08 +0000 Hayley Byrnes | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/I-love-sport-Im-blonde-but-Im-definitely-no-groupie/ Groupie. Footy tart. Wannabe WAG. I’ve heard it all. Is it the way I look? The blonde hair? The boobs? Or maybe just because I’m a woman? Recently, the term “groupie” was flung at me once again when I failed to contain my excitement meeting Socceroo Tim Cahill. Although I brushed aside the remark, it made me ponder a nagging question – why is it a woman cannot appreciate an athlete without being looked upon as a groupie? Let me get this straight - because I don’t have a penis, I’m obviously not meant to understand what Cahill did for the Socceroos in the ’06 World Cup? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Hayley Byrnes) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/I-love-sport-Im-blonde-but-Im-definitely-no-groupie/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/I-love-sport-Im-blonde-but-Im-definitely-no-groupie/#item9895 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:45:46 +0000 Hayley Byrnes | Author bios | The Punch