'Is it terminal?' The heartbreaking story behind a Canberra Stadium proposal

Unfortunately for the Wellington Hurricanes fan, the answer "yes" came prematurely and from the person he least wanted to hear it from.

"I looked at the doctor and I could tell," Hare said. "So I asked him straight - is it terminal? He didn't look away, he looked me straight in the eyeball and said 'yes'."

This is the heartbreaking - and heartwarming - story behind the first marriage proposal at Canberra Stadium in recent memory before the ACT Brumbies played against the Wellington Hurricanes.

Some of you may have seen Hurricanes fan Hare get down on one knee just before kick-off, or a shocked George finally realising why her partner was wearing his "good shoes" to the footy.

Only a tightknit group in the stands - made up of their family and friends - knew the battle to get there. Because just three months ago, doctors told Hare he had stage-four lung cancer and had about 12 months to live.

It rocked the couple - who have been friends for years but started their romance during Canberra's COVID-19 lockdowns - and in many ways they're still coming to grips with the grim reality they now face.

But after cancelling a trip to Tathra over Easter, where Hare had initially planned to propose, he decided to transform Canberra Stadium from a fortress into a romantic setting.

Hare and daughter Jaz walked into Brumbies headquarters last week to seek the club's assistance in making it happen. They obliged without hesitation.

"Penny really had no idea. I was hoping she didn't take off up Black Mountain," Hare laughed.

"It was pretty overwhelming. There was a little bit of bullshit in trying to organise it all. I told her they were going to present me with a jumper, but she kept asking me why I had my good shoes and jacket on.

"And she said yes. I'm still gobsmacked."

The ring Hare used to propose was his mother's. She packed the ring in her luggage when she flew over to visit.

Hare grew up in New Zealand and even played softball with former Raiders hardman John Lomax, who was also at the game on the weekend to watch son Tyrel. The pair remain good friends and Lomax organised for Hare to go to the Hurricanes' training session the day before the game.

George has been a Brumbies fan since the start of Super Rugby, so rugby holds a special place in the couple's hearts.

"We put everything on hold when we got the news about the cancer. Richard has obviously decided to fast-forward a few things," George said.

"It's been tough but we've kept our sense of humour and he's decided we're going to get on with life.

"I don't remember much about the game [after the proposal], but I know the Hurricanes lost. People kept coming up and saying congratulations. It was so unexpected."

Hare's cancer has spread from his lungs to his brain. He also had one litre of fluid around his heart, which had complicated the process. But he is undergoing chemotherapy and still living his life.

George, and Hare's family, have been the rock through it all.

"Penny hasn't left my side. She has been there every step of the way," Hare said.

"I love everything about her. She's extremely intelligent, wonderful and absolutely gorgeous.

"We don't know what happens now or when. We know it's inevitable, but the wedding is the one thing I want to get done ... at least I had one win on the day."

Nick Kyrgios made waves when he signed a deal to join subscription only company OnlyFans last year, and he's using the platform to offer up an interesting prize.

"I'm thinking about flying a fan to my home town to spend a couple of days together. But you gotta subscribe to my Only Fans because I'm selecting from there," Kyrgios told his social media followers.

Worth the sign up? You tell us. Kyrgios has been working hard on the comeback trail and is nearing a return to the court for the first time in almost two years.

Two Canberra golfers continue to make their mark on courses around Australia, this time claiming bragging rights at the Murray River Junior Masters. Harry Whitelock nailed a birdie on the last hole to beat defending champion Blake Hodges, while Sophia Chau secured a two-shot victory in the girls division.

The event is part of the Jack Newton Junior Golf program, where the country's best young talent battle it out on the fairways.

Royal Canberra's Whitelock is fast making a name for himself as a player to watch, winning the Webex Players Series Trophy earlier this year and setting his sights on turning professional.

Gungahlin Lakes prodigy Chau, who is just 13 years old, had to come from behind to secure her win and now has a spot at the Bonville Champions Trophy later this year. Keep your eye on them.

Federal Assistant Minister for Competition and member for Fenner Andrew Leigh is set to bring up a unique and quirky milestone at the Port Macquarie Ironman this weekend.

A well-known fitness fanatic, Leigh is set to become the first politician to have completed all three of Australia's ironman races - adding Port Macquarie to his Cairns and Busselton efforts.

"I'm turning 52 this year and the training does get harder, but I'm feeling fit and ready to give it a crack," Leigh said.

It shouldn't come as a surprise given Leigh has already run the six marathon majors in the world - Tokyo, Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin and London.

But ironman events are a step up, especially when you consider they include the 42 kilometre marathon at the end of a 3.8 kilometre swim and a 180 kilometre bike ride.

Making this one even tougher, Leigh needs to be on his game for the federal budget just nine days after the race.

"I'll be walking like a 90-year-old the next day. The ironman has been an event I've looked at with an open jaw since I was a kid. I couldn't imagine it," Leigh said.

"There's something fun being on that edge and seeing if you can push your body that little bit further."

The self-described "thrasher" in the pool says the swim and bike legs are the toughest. But he has been loading up on a "five-year-old's birthday diet" of soft drink and lollies to get his body in peak condition.

The goal? He clocked 10 hours 40 minutes in Cairns and 11 hours 20 minutes in Busselton, "so if I can keep it around 11 hours I'll be happy."

One of Canberra's newest - and versatile - venues is back online after a major pre-season hiccup forced games to be moved on the eve of the winter season.

Gungahlin Enclosed reopened this week after a five-week lockout, which forced teams to relocate games.

The capital's summer rain and two pre-season games are being blamed for the shutdown. The Gungahlin Bulls and Gungahlin Eagles played on the field on back-to-back weekends to prepare for their respective Canberra Raiders Cup and John I Dent Cup campaigns.

But the turf wilted under the workload, despite being rarely used since the end of the 2023 football season.

"Following consecutive weekend trial matches for rugby league and rugby union on March 16-17 and March 23-24, Gungahlin Enclosed Oval required some maintenance to the turf," an ACT government facilities spokesperson said.

"To ensure the longevity of the winter sport season, top dressing and reseeding new grass was required. To allow for the new grass to establish the oval was temporarily closed.

"All sporting codes were notified through regular engagement with the sport peak bodies. During the winter sport season, sports that use the Gungahlin Enclosed Oval include Australian Rules, rugby league, rugby union and soccer."

The oval was reopened on Wednesday, which is good news for the Gungahlin Jets, the Bulls and Gungahlin United. But the traffic on the field, which cost more than $12 million when it was opened a decade ago, regularly causes issues.

United shifts games to other venues, including the AIS, because the load of AFL Canberra and Canberra Raiders Cup cut up the field too much for soccer. The Eagles prefer to play their home game at Nicholls.