Peter FitzSimons reveals how he ruthlessly pranked one of Sydney’s most powerful people and got him in hot water with his wife: ‘Hook, line and sinker’

High-profile columnist Peter FitzSimons has congratulated himself for pulling off a cunning prank on Sydney’s sporting elite. 

While summing up 2023’s ‘greatest hits’ on Saturday, the Sydney Morning Herald commentator recounted how he had pulled off an April Fool’s Day joke that left rugby union, league and racing ‘heavies momentarily choking on their Weet-Bix’. 

FitzSimons reported on April 1 that Peter V’Landys – the ubiquitous sporting boss who is the chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission and the chief executive of Racing NSW – was in line to become the next boss of Rugby Australia.

FitzSimons ‘reported’ quotes from an insider at the time: ‘He (V’Landys) runs everything else, so why not rugby too? … It saves so much hassle’. 

It was not true – simply a joke for FitzSimons’ sport-obsessed audience at the footy supremo’s expense. 

But he did have at least one person convinced – Mr V’Landys’ wife, Philippa, FitzSimons claimed. 

Mr V’Landys reportedly texted FitzSimons: ‘Thanks for the early morning concussion. My wife only saw the headline and started on me.

‘It was very funny as you had her hook like and sinker’. 

Mr V’Landys, with his wife Philippa – who were victims of the joke

It has been an eventful few months for the prolific author, columnist and ex-Wallaby, who has written non-fiction for 35 years. 

Publisher Hachette released his latest book about Australian history, The Last Charge of the Australian Light Horse, last month.

Meanwhile, FitzSimons’ wife – journalist and TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson – has been in the spotlight recently in the Federal Court, where Bruce Lehrmann is suing her and The Project for defamation over her reporting of Brittany Higgins’ allegations. 

The media power couple have three children and live in Sydney’s north.