Aussie Minister Kate Ellis pays up on her Olympic bet.

For us Brits there's nothing quite like getting on over on the Aussies when it comes to sport. They are just too good at it all so when the occasion comes round that we do end up looking down on them it's good to milk it for all it's worth. The 2005 Ashes may have been eclipsed by the debacle in Australia that followed but that doesn't change the fact that for those fleeting 12 months we had the one up on them. The 2003 and, perhaps even sweeter, 2007 world cup was an awesome victories should not be forgotten too.

Latest in our all too infrequent sporting triumphs is the Olympics when we finished a fair bit above them in the medal table. Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe had a bet running with his Australian countpart Kate Ellis. As her forfeit Kate had to wear a Team GB tracksuit at a recent visit to the 2008 Paralympics.

Kate, it has to be said took it all in good fun saying "It's great that there's a healthy rivalry between our two nations and I congratulate Great Britain on their success at the Olympics,I'll eat a little humble pie along with the Australian team and we'll work a little harder for our future success."

This is not atypical...Oddly enough for a nation that gets so little practice at it the Aussies always strike me as good losers. They always seem to be awful winners however. It's odd how a nation we all like so much can annoy us so much in the sporting arena.