The Dakar Rally champion grew wings on the weekend with a tour of Red Bull headquarters in Austria. 

Price was impressed with the hangers, or man caves as he put it, and a private tour with company owner Dietrich Mateschitz. 

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The Maitland Blacks were represented on the sidelines of Sydney Sevens on the weekend. 

Outside ball boy Sam Parkinson and family there was a local crew wearing black and white novelty penguin shirts.

They were recycled from an end-of-season trip a couple of seasons ago and resurrected for the weekend’s activities.

Club president Ben Emmett, ­fellow prop Dan Leadley, halfback Chris Johns and travelling Irishman Patrick Farrell joined injured teammate Dom Punch at the sold out event.

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Not many cricket players get to hit the winning runs in their career but one first grader has done it twice in one day.

Fourteen-year-old Northern Suburbs junior Will Fort, playing just his second match in Maitland’s top grade, got the job done in both the first and second innings against Raymond Terrace on Sunday.

He has collective figures of 5-3 from five overs in the past fortnight and finished with a combined 15 not-out across the weekend. 

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Still on cricket and Maisy Gibson has been back in town following her recent success with the Sydney Thunder in the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League.

And she played the following weekend for Western Suburbs in the Maitland and District Cricket Association.

The leg spinner’s last commitments in Sydney will be the women’s competition throughout February and March.

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Finally on the summer sport and one Maitland junior had the experience of a lifetime last week.

Eight-year-old Gillieston Heights boy Ollie Lewer padded up for the Primary Club against the Maasai Warriors at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Marvellous effort that! 

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There has been quite a bit of criticism directed at the Newcastle Jets for their handling of the David Carney situation.

His fiancé Emma Johnson was one of those and she voiced her thoughts on Twitter: “David Carney has proven himself to the club and loves the fans, unfortunately the club hasn’t reciprocated that respect.” 

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Finally, hats off to Bar TV which continue to score goals across all codes in the broadcasting world.

After kicking off in the Hunter, predominately in winter, the crew has spread their wings in recent times and has just announced a partnership with Netball NSW for this year’s Premier League.

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Numbers Game: 6200 – the points score Hunter heptathlete Sophie Stanwell needs to automatically qualify for this year’s Rio Olympics.

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Moment That Mattered: Parramatta Eels winning the Auckland Nines.

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Quote: “He had a little Knights jumper and his cap on back to front. It’s very cute and we get it out every now and then to reminisce,” Fiona Lamb talking about the 1997 ticker tape parade with the Newcastle Knights premiership winning team, which she attended with current debutant Brock Lamb.