Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - The All Whites' path to next year's World Cup's been made clearer.

Fifa has announced the winner of the Oceania confederation's qualifiers, provisionally scheduled for March next year, will go on to play the fourth ranked North and Central American team in a playoff in June.

The playoff was now scheduled to be one game at a neutral ground, rather than over home and away legs, in Qatar.

"Whichever team we get from Concacaf we know they will be strong as they have to be at this level," said All Whites coach Danny Hay.

"We still have work to do to qualify for the intercontinental playoff but, as we have shown in the previous two international windows, we are making progress both on and off the pitch.

"It is now our job to continue to build on what we have done this year and take that momentum into 2022 as we look to qualify for Qatar."

Meantime, either Italy or Portugal won't qualify for the tournament after being drawn together in one of three brackets in the European confederation playoffs.

Italy and Portugal are in bracket C with North Macedonia and Turkey, with just one team per bracket qualifying.

Kerr stars with bat and ball

Two of the New Zealand's brightest young T20 talents were the stars of the show as a new season of Super Smash got under in Christchurch.

Wellington Blaze 21-year-old Amelia Kerr blasted her career-best T20 score of 71 off just 55 balls, then followed it up with a stunning 4-12, including a maiden over, off her four overs in an emphatic 44-run Blaze victory over defending champions the Canterbury Magicians.

Magicians captain Frankie Mackay top-scored in the reply on her home turf and, with 3-23, had earlier become the first woman to take 100 T20 wickets for her team.

But it was all a bittersweet consolation for the passionate veteran as the Magicians' tough start to the summer in both formats continued.

The men's rematch between last year's Grand Finalists then saw a repeat result.

Defending champions the Wellington Firebirds blew away the Canterbury Kings under lights by 27 runs.

The Firebirds achieved this with three T20 debutants in their side - Luke Georgeson, Nick Greenwood and Tim Robinson.

But with confidence and power beyond his years, 22-year-old Finn Allen got them all off to a flier.

Allen shared an 89-run stand with Georgeson (30 off 22) before the pair both fell in the ninth over, Allen after an explosive 57 off 30 balls (four boundaries, four sixes).

The Firebirds reached 177/7 in their 20 after having been sent in, in a match that was distinguished by classy catching on both sides.

The Kings, however, fell well short with the bat in reply at 150/9 in their 20 overs.

Plan to tackle racism and discrimination in cricket

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) released a 12-point action plan to tackle racism and discrimination in the sport, including a review of the "dressing room culture" across teams and a standardised approach to whistleblowing.

The move comes after a number of players, including former Yorkshire spinner Azeem Rafiq alleged they were the victims of institutional racism at their clubs.

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan promises a redesigned blueprint for player and coach education, as well as a mentoring programme for cricketers from diverse or underprivileged backgrounds.

Teams will also be required to diversify their leadership boards by April 2022, with a commitment to have 30 percent female and representative ethnicity.

"We have now set out a series of game-wide commitments so that cricket can start to make the transformation that we know is needed," ECB interim chair Barry O'Brien said.

"Change is required as a matter of urgency, but we also recognise that sustained action is required over months and years to achieve fundamental and long lasting progress. This must begin today."

The ECB said it would set up a new anti-discrimination unit within sixth months and also vowed to remove "structural and cultural barriers" in their elite talent pathways.

"For cricket truly to 'connect communities and improve lives' -- our stated aim at the ECB -- we must start by accepting that not enough has happened to make our game better" ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said.

"That is the only possible reaction to the powerful testimony of Azeem Rafiq and others in recent weeks."

- Reuters

Rennie apologies for criticising referees

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has apologised for criticising the quality of officiating during their European tour following their 29-28 defeat in Wales after global governing body World Rugby issued a written warning.

A succession of decisions by referee Mike Adamson, his officiating team and television match official (TMO) Marius Jonker left Rennie frustrated with the coach defending his decision to go public with his complaints.

"Dave Rennie wishes to apologise to the match officials and to World Rugby for the choice of language used in post-match media commitments following the Wallabies Test match against Wales in Cardiff," Rugby Australia said in a statement.

"The choice of language and its timing did not meet the standards required from a coach or official in upholding rugby's core values of discipline, integrity and respect.

"Rugby Australia and Dave Rennie accept the formal warning issued by World Rugby."

World Rugby added the sport was based on "trust and respect" with match officials being the "backbone of the sport" and Rennie's comments were "clearly not aligned with these values".

On Thursday, South Africa's director of rugby Rassie Erasmus withdrew his appeal against a two-month ban and apologised to referee Nic Berry for his 62-minute video critique of the match official after the first test against the British & Irish Lions in July.

Australia lost all three games in their European tour this month, also suffering defeats to Scotland and England.

- Reuters

Italy and Portugal on collision course in World Cup playoffs

The last two European champions, Italy and Portugal, could face each other for a spot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after they were drawn in the same path for the playoffs in Zurich.

The 12 teams -10 of which finished runners-up in their groups - were split into three four-team paths, each with its own semi-finals and final. Seeded teams were guaranteed a home game in the semi-finals.

The winning team from each path qualifies for the World Cup in Qatar, meaning Italy and Portugal cannot both reach the tournament.

Italy, who won the Euros earlier this year, and 2016 European champions Portugal will play their semi-final games at home against North Macedonia and Turkey, respectively.

Should the two heavyweights advance, Portugal will have home advantage in the final.

Failure to advance would be a major blow for four-times World Cup winners Italy, who did not qualify for the 2018 edition - the first time they missed out on qualification in 60 years.

Wales, who are looking to reach their first World Cup in 64 years, were drawn in the same path as Scotland, who have not qualified since 1998.

The semi-finals and finals will be played from March 24-29.

- Reuters

Former Olympic president jailed

Former Rio 2016 and Brazilian Olympic Committee President Carlos Arthur Nuzman has been sentenced to 30 years and 11 months in jail for buying votes for Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympics.

The ruling was announced by Judge Marcelo Bretas from the 7th Criminal Court in Rio de Janeiro.

The 79-year-old executive, who was the head of the Brazilian Olympic Committee for more than two decades, was found guilty of money laundering, tax evasion, corruption and criminal organization. Nuzman's lawyers appealed the sentence and he will stay free until the appeal is heard.

Nuzman, a former honorary IOC member, was first arrested in October 2017 along with his right-hand man, former Rio 2016 director of operations Leonardo Gryner, accused of arranging more than $2 million in bribes to get the IOC to pick Rio de Janeiro as host of the 2016 Olympics. Rio was awarded the Games in 2009, beating out Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid.

Gryner, former Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral and businessman Arthur C+sar de Menezes Soares Filho were also convicted for collaborating to bribe IOC officials. Gryner was sentenced to 13 years and 10 months in jail for corruption and criminal organization.

Cabral, who has been in jail since 2016 for a series of corruption scandals, was sentenced to a further 10 years and eight months. He had given the judge details of the bribery conspiracy after reaching an agreement to disclose sensitive information on other cases.

Cabral told Bretas that he, Nuzman, Soares and Gryner coordinated "to buy the votes" of the former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, Lamine Diack, and his son, Papa Diack, and others.

- Reuters

Sevens world series action returns

South Africa's men lived up to their favourites tag with a perfect start to their bid for glory on the opening day of the Dubai 7s, while Olympic champions Fiji earned a late win over Australia as the World Rugby Sevens Series returned in style.

The Blitzboks, who are aiming for a fifth Series title this season, showed their class in wins over Ireland, Japan and Great Britain that set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against third seeds Australia.

Not to be outdone, a Fijian side featuring just two players from the squad that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics defeated France and Canada before scoring a match-winning try in the final play of the game to take top spot off Australia.

New Zealand's men's and women's teams, winners of their respective Series titles in 2020, are unable to participate due to Covid-19 travel complications.

Argentina's men went unbeaten to top Pool B and earn a place in a quarter-final lineup that was completed by Australia, USA, Great Britain, Ireland and Kenya.

Great Britain and Australia both won back-to-back matches to get off to a flyer in the women's event, but both of the five-team pools remain wide open ahead of their completion on Saturday.

Covid-19 variant shuts down South African sport

South African sport began to shut down on Friday after the detection of a new coronavirus variant in the country, with the imposition of travel bans forcing rugby teams and golfers to scramble to try and leave.

Rugby teams scheduled to play in South Africa at the weekend and golfers competing in a European Tour event in Johannesburg were under threat of harsh quarantine arrangements as Britain and countries in the European Union imposed travel bans.

Britain said on Friday the newly identified Covid-19 variant was of huge concern and considered by scientists to be the most significant one yet found as it could make vaccines less effective.

Four rugby teams were due to play South African opposition in the United Rugby Championship (URC), but matches on Saturday and Sunday have been postponed with Welsh clubs Cardiff and Scarlets looking to leave before travellers from southern Africa are forced to quarantine on their return to Britain.

Munster of Ireland and Zebre of Italy were also due to play in South Africa.

They were the first clubs to arrive in South Africa since the onset of the pandemic and the postponement of fixtures will come as a major blow to the newly launched tournament involving sides from South Africa, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.

Golf's Joburg Open, the first European Tour event of the new season, was also hit by the withdrawals as play resumed on Friday. A total of 19 golfers from Britain, Ireland, Denmark and Germany either withdrew before play or retired during their Friday rounds.

On Friday, South Africa began the first of a three-match One Day International cricket series against the Netherlands, but the second and third games could be called off.

South Africa are also set to host India next month, with that tour expected to be a major boon to Cricket South Africa's coffers.

Indian cricket's governing body, the BCCI, told Reuters it was monitoring the situation but would not yet make a decision.

- Reuters