Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Tall Blacks point guard Tai Webster has signed a two-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League.

The 26-year-old said the signing of Kiwi centre Yanni Wetzell on a three-year deal, and Australian Will McDowell-White returning for a further year, played a significant role in him committing.

"Will is scary talented, scary athletic, that boy is so talented, it's exciting to have another point guard with that ability," Webster said.

"I've known Yanni since we were little kids, we played soccer together when we were five, six years old, his parents used to take us to practice and stuff like that, that's one of my 'homies' for real."

Webster's brother Corey is also with the Auckland-based club.

Van Gisbergen unstoppable in Townsville

New Zealand driver Shane van Gisbergen has brought up his 50th career win with victory in Race 16 at the NTI Townsville 500.

It was a near-carbon copy showing of Saturday, with van Gisbergen hunting and passing teammate Jamie Whincup for the win.

It marked van Gisbergen's 10th victory from 16 starts in 2021, and seventh at the Reid Park Street Circuit.

Like Saturday's first 250km marathon, Sunday's race ran green for the duration, with Anton De Pasquale again third, albeit over 25 seconds from the lead.

Van Gisbergen will take a 245-point series lead over Whincup into next weekend's WD-40 Townsville SuperSprint.

New Zealander takes vice president role for World Netball

New Zealander Shirley Hooper has been elected as the new vice president of World Netball (formerly International Netball Federation).

Hooper has been a part of the international governing body since 2017.

Netball has played a significant part in Hooper's life for over 50 years as a player, umpire, sponsor, broadcaster, board member and chairperson.

Her extensive experience and knowledge in executive management, marketing and sporting governance come from marketing director roles with Bendon, Tru-Test and TVNZ; running her own marketing consultancy business; several corporate directorships and a range of sporting governance roles with netball and synchronised swimming in New Zealand.

Hooper said it was an exciting opportunity to continue to work for netball on a global stage.

"I see my role as helping to drive the next phase of netball's growth through participation, reach, revenue and capability across the world - and helping to unite our playing nations around a common purpose."

British and Irish Lions work for win

The British and Irish Lions overcame spirited opposition to beat the Sharks 71-31 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and win the third match on their South African tour in a 16-try extravaganza.

After two easy wins, the Lions were given a first-half examination by a Sharks side, playing them for the second time in four days, and were held 26-26 at halftime.

But after Sharks halfback Jaden Hendrikse was needlessly sent off early in the second half, the tourists ran away to a handsome win, scoring 11 tries to five in the third highest scoring match in Lions' history.

Captain Jamie George, Tadhg Beirne and Anthony Watson both scored twice and there were also tries for Chris Harris, Duhan van der Merwe, Jack Conan, Elliot Daly, and Tom Curry with Dan Biggar kicking eight conversions.

The Sharks amassed a five-try haul, with two for fullback Anthony Volmink and one each for Thaakir Abrahams, Hendrikse and Werner Kok.

- Reuters

Van Gisbergen extends Supercars lead

Supercars Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen won the opening race of this year's Townsville 500.

The 32-year old Kiwi claimed his ninth race victory of the 2021 season and the 49th of his career, taking him to outright sixth on the all-time win-list, ahead of Peter Brock.

Van Gisbergen started from pole position but fell behind his Red Bull teammate Jamie Whincup.

Whincup looked on track to claim his 13th career win in Townsville, until van Gisbergen made a passing move in the dying laps to take the lead, which he held until the end of the race.

The result extends van Gisbergen's lead over Whincup on top of the Championship ladder.

Van Gisbergen now holds a 233-point advantage over the seven-time Champion heading into today's second race of the event.

Final Four taking shape in NBL

The Canterbury Rams remain in the hunt for the Sal's NBL Final 4 after a 95-90 overtime win over the Nelson Giants.

Though they have to rely on other results, all the Rams can do is keep winning and they managed to do that thanks to some EJ Singler magic late in regular time, before Max Darling joined him to deliver the knock-out blow in overtime.

Singler (22 points and 13 rebounds), Darling (20 points) and Deshon Taylor (21 points) fed off another sell-out home crowd when it mattered most.

For the Giants, Hunter Hale (32 points), Sam Demspter (16 points) and Donte Ingram (15 points) filled the stats sheet.

The Hawke's Bay Hawks warmed up for the Final Four with a convincing 100-74 win in the penultimate round of the competition against the Taranaki Mountainairs at Pettigrew Green Arena.

Devondrick Walker top-scored for the Hawks with 20 points and Marcel Jones lead the Airs with 24 points.

The Wellington Saints have already booked their ticket to the Final 4, but they are now just one win away from locking in the top seed after a 103-80 win over the Manawatu Jets.

By the half the Saints had moved to a 60-45 advantage and they were never headed from that point.

Taane Samuel (23 points) and Kerwin Roach (20 points, 7 assists), Tohi Smith-Milner (20 points) were the Saints' top performers.

For the Jets Daishon Knight (30 points) and Jayden Bezzant (25 points) were the best.

Mollema claims vintage Tour de France victory with solo raid

Dutchman Bauke Mollema won the 14th stage of the Tour de France, a 183.7-km ride from Carcassonne to Quillan in the southwest, for his second career victory in 11 appearances at cycling's most popular race.

Austrian Patrick Konrad took second place, with Colombia's Sergio Higuita coming home third, both one minute four seconds off the pace.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar retained the overall leader's yellow jersey at the end of a hot day in southwestern France, on roads peppered with short but brutal climbs.

"I knew I had a good chance to make it to the end, I paced myself and when I saw I had a minute at the top of the last climb I knew it was done," said Mollema.

There was one major change in the general classification, however, as France's Guillaume Martin jumped from ninth to second after taking part in the day's breakaway.

Pogacar leads Martin by 4:04, with Colombian Rigoberto Uran in third place, 5:18 behind the defending champion.

- Reuters

Change of State of Origin venue

NSW are unfazed by the challenge of having to win three State of Origins in Queensland to complete an historic series clean sweep, with Blues coach Brad Fittler declaring: "We will play anywhere, anytime".

Gold Coast will host Origin III after the ARLC was advised by the NSW Government that it would not allow a major event with a crowd to be held in Newcastle next Wednesday.

The Blues have had to travel to Townsville and Brisbane for the opening two matches of the series and were looking forward to receiving the State of Origin Shield on NSW soil but now have an unprecedented shot at history.

"It's disappointing that we can't play at Newcastle, and play in front of a NSW crowd," Fittler said. "But we will play anywhere, anytime."

NSWRL CEO David Trodden said no other Origin team was likely to have the chance of completing a clean sweep by winning all three matches in the rival state.

"As you would expect we are disappointed for all our fans in NSW who don't have the opportunity to celebrate this great team winning the series," Trodden said.

"But given the circumstances around the Covid-19 outbreak in NSW we understand the decision and are grateful for the opportunity to still play Game Three."