Sydney’s sporting power list revealed
From Test captains to teenage champions, sporting figures command one-fifth of The Daily Telegraph’s Power 100 list. See the names that made it.
Former Prime Minister John Howard once joked that his was the second most important job in the country – behind the Australian Test cricket captain.
A lifelong fan of the baggy green brigade, Howard’s now famous quip defined the importance of sport to our national identity.
FULL LIST: See who topped Sydney’s Power 100
Not just a pastime, it is part of the Aussie identity and culture, ingrained in the DNA.
The Daily Telegraph’s Power 100 reflects that love, even obsession, for sport with more than 20 per cent of the list having on-field, off-field or boardroom connections.
As Howard would demand, the Test cricket captain is there. Pat Cummins, at No. 17.
Fast bowler, UNICEF ambassador, education and Indigenous issues advocate, Cummins uses his high-profile status to promote “societal wellbeing”.
“As players, we are privileged to have a platform that allows us to reach millions of people,” he says.
“I have a few causes that I feel passionate about and where I can … make a small difference.”
But Cummins is not the top ranking sports identity in the Power 100 rankings.
That honour goes to Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman and Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys.
The high-profile administrator sits at No. 6, underscoring the substantial influence he wields across the Harbour City.
And for V’landys, 2025 delivered a dream trifecta.
The race he created, The Everest, set attendance and broadcast records.
His bold decision to open the rugby league season in Las Vegas continued to kick goals, and NRL TV viewing was off the charts, eclipsing the AFL.
V’landys says of rugby league: “The greatest challenge is to continue the growth we’ve had. We need to get bigger.”
A newcomer to the Power 100, and immediately claiming a position at the pointy end of the list, is the new Australian Olympic Committee CEO Mark Arbib at No. 8.
The former Federal senator and Labor Party kingmaker who served in the ministry of two prime ministers was appointed to the current AOC role in May this year.
“Growing up, sport taught me so much about life – goal setting, discipline, humility and being part of a team,” Arbib says.
“If you want to help people live better lives … there is no better way than through sport.”
NRL ace Nathan Cleary and Matildas superstar Mary Fowler at No. 10 are the sporting power couple whose relationship has shot them to even greater prominence and international recognition.
“Sometimes it’s a little bit weird with the paparazzi stuff, it can be hard to wrap your head around, but we have an agreement that we wouldn’t let it affect us or our relationship,” Cleary says.
Significantly, the Power 100 list also features several young females embracing their status as role models for the next generation.
Grace Kim, 24, claimed her first major golf championship after an extraordinary five-under par finish over the last three holes of the Evian event in the US.
“To be in a position where girls look up to you, and you might inspire them to play … is really exciting,” she says.
Surfer Molly Picklum also enters the Power 100 for the first time after capturing her maiden world title at just 22.
“It’s such a trip from a Central Coast kid, little grom looking up to (icons like) Steph (Gilmore), Layne (Beachley), Sally (Fitzgibbons) and Tyler (Wright) … all those girls,” she says.
“I just feel so honoured and grateful that I’ve had such role models to look up to.”
Cricketer Ellyse Perry is on the list again, as is paddler Jess Fox who showed resilience and strength when surgery on a benign tumour kept her out of the water post the Paris Olympics.
Rugby league is well represented with the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Nick Politis, Andrew Abdo, and Ivan Cleary.
Businessman and Swans chairman Andrew Pridham is there. Racing trainers Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse are also return inclusions.
Even the Westpac CEO Anthony Miller, at No. 13, has a connection to sport. He played club rugby with World Cup winning Wallabies captain John Eales.
Originally published as Sydney’s sporting power list revealed
