Today's Sports News: What you need to know

Latest - The New Zealand sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have defended their 49er class world title in Geelong.

The pair won both of today's final fleet races and then finished fourth in the double points medal race.

It is the pairs sixth world title and sets them up as favourites to retain their Olympic title in Japan later this year.

Spain finished second and Germany third.

Meanwhile Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson finished seventh in the Nacra 17 class.

McLaughlin ends US testing

The New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin has completed his week of Indycar testing by running 150 laps at the Texas Motor Speedway.

McLaughlin, who finished with the third quickest lap time at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin during the week, had his first taste of oval racing in a open-wheel race car in Fort Worth.

Driving the Team Penske Chevrolet, McLaughlin reached speeds of more than 350km/h.

"My out lap was well and truly the fastest I've ever gone in a race car in my life.

"It's an amazing feeling. You need to be so precise, " he told Supercars.

McLaughlin will be back in the States for his IndyCar race debut in the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis in May, but for now returns to Australia in preparation for his Supercars title defence with the opening round in Adelaide next week.

Reid off to KC

All White skipper Winston Reid's move to the United States has been confirmed.

Reid will move to MLS club Sporting Kansas City on loan.

Reid, 31, hasn't played made a competitive senior appearance since March 2018 due to injuries. He joined West Ham in 2010 and made 223 appearances with the club, the majority of which in the Premier League.

Defender Reid was also linked with Nashville SC before joining SKC.

SKC are looking to rebound from a 2019 season that saw the club concede 67 goals en route to missing the playoffs.

The MLS season starts in a fortnight.

-MLS

Man City banned from Europe

Eglish champions Manchester City have been banned from European competition for the next two seasons and fined 30 million euros by European football's governing body UEFA after an investigation into alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.

UEFA said in a statement that City had committed "serious breaches" of the rules while the Premier League club swiftly said they intended to appeal the decision to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The ruling, if upheld, would mean City would not be able to compete in next season's Champions League should they again qualify for Europe's top club competition.

UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules are intended to prevent clubs receiving unlimited amounts of money through inflated sponsorship deals with organisations related to the owners.

The Adjudicatory Chamber of UEFA's Club Financial Control Body (CFCB), said City had broken the rules by "overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016" and added that the club "failed to cooperate in the investigation".

- Reuters

Leicester held by Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers had a goal controversially ruled out by VAR as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Leicester City, who finished with 10 men, in the Premier League.

The result leaves Leicester in third place on 50 points, a point behind Manchester City, while Wolves move up to seventh place on 36, five points off the Champions League places.

Liverpool lead the standings on 73 points.

Wolves thought they had the lead just before the break when Willy Boly headed home after a short-corner routine but VAR ruled that Pedro Neto was marginally offside when he crossed.

The VAR footage showed Neto's non-striking foot slightly offside when he received the ball back from Diogo Jota from the short corner.

Leicester went down to 10 men when Hamza Choudhury was sent off for tripping Leander Dendoncker as he picked up a second yellow card in the 76th minute.

-Reuters

Warriors women win in men's jerseys

The Warriors women have overcome a gear blunder to beat the Roosters 13-8 in their opening match of the NRL Nines rugby league tournament in Perth.

The team had to play in the men's jerseys and without socks after their gear bag was left at the team hotel.

Playing in the same jerseys the men lost 34-nil to the Newcastle Knights in their opening game.

The women will be back in action today against the St George Illawarra Dragons and Brisbane Broncos, with the top two sides playing in tonight's grand final.

The men will need a big reversal of fortunes in their second pool match against the Roosters today if they're to progress to the quarter-finals.

England send T20 series to a decider

England has levelled the three-game Twenty20 cricket series against South Africa.

A crashing 39 off 11 balls by Moeen Ali has helped Englnd win a thriller in Durban as they posted an imposing 204-7 that the hosts fell two runs short of despite 65 off 22 by Quinton de Kock.

England had a great start through Jason Roy (40) and Johnny Bairstow (35), were then bogged down somewhat before Ben Stokes, who finished on 47 not out, and Moeen, who played a series of audacious shots, helped them push on to their formidable tally.

South Africa looked capable of pulling off a victory when De Kock smashed eight sixes as they reached 92 without loss in the seventh over but when he was caught by Stokes off Mark Wood, the game looked to swing England's way.

However, a spirited late flurry by Rassie van der Dussen (43 not out) left the hosts, who won the first match by one run, needing 15 off the final over.

Dwaine Pretorius smashed 12 from the first four balls but was then lbw to Tom Curran, leaving three needed off the last ball. Bjorn Fortuin tried to ramp it for four but was caught by Adil Rashid as England came through to set up an exciting decider in Pretoria on Monday morning NZT.

- Reuters

Schedule change for the Phoenix

The Wellington Phoenix's round 21 A-League match against Sydney FC has been pushed back two and a half weeks.

It follows the postponement of last weekend's derby between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers due to torrential rain.

That match will now be played on Friday, February 28 with Sydney FC to now host the Phoenix on Wednesday, March 18.

It will fall in the week between Phoenix matches against Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets.

Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome says that after negotiation with FFA the club accepts the changes.

"This isn't ideal for Wellington or Sydney but after discussions with all parties it was agreed this was the best solution for Wellington, Sydney and the League as a whole."

Ko out of contention in South Australia

Lydia Ko has missed the cut at her LPGA Tour season opener in South Australia.

The New Zealand number one has carded an even par 73 in the second round of the Australian Open to finish one-over par for the tournament, just one shot adrift of the cut line.

South Korea's Inbee Park and Englishwomen Jodi Ewart Shadoff sit atop the leaderboard at 10-under par.

Rebels off the mark in 2020

The Melbourne Rebels have posted their first win of the Super Rugby season, beating the New South Wales Waratahs 24-10 in their Australian derby in Melbourne.

The Rebels had lost 15 of their past 17 matches to the Waratahs.

The result leaves NSW winless three rounds into the season - their worst ever start to Super Rugby.

The Waratahs now have the bye while the Rebels will next week host the Sharks in Ballarat.

Golf tournaments postponed due to coronavirus

The European Tour golf events that were scheduled to be played in Kuala Lumpur and Shenzhen in April have been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The outbreak has killed more than 1,300 people and infected more than 60,000 in China after emerging late last year in Wuhan, the capital of central Hubei province.

The event at the Saujana Golf & Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, was originally scheduled for April 16-19 while the Shenzhen event at the Genzon Golf Club was scheduled for April 23-26.

The tournaments join a long list of international sports events in Asia that have been cancelled, postponed or moved because of the virus, most notably the indoor world athletics championships in Nanjing and the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

- Reuters

South Africa withdraw from Pakistan tour

South Africa will not tour Pakistan for a three-match Twenty20 international series next month to manage the workload of their players.

The Proteas, who are currently playing England in a three-match T20 series at home, next host Australia in three T20s and as many one-day internationals before travelling to India for three ODIs between March 12-18.

"While we were keenly looking forward to hosting South Africa next month, we respect Cricket South Africa's reason for not sending their side next month," the PCB said in a statement.

"Managing player workload is a top priority for any board and from that perspective, their decision is understandable. We're pleased CSA remains committed to rescheduling this short series as soon as practically possible."

Pakistan successfully hosted two tests against Sri Lanka in December -- their first at home since a militant attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in 2009 that left six security personnel and two civilians dead and six players hurt.

- Reuters

Key players returning for Premier League leaders

Liverpool winger Sadio Mane and midfielder James Milner are back in contention for the English Premier League leaders after the pair recovered from injuries that had sidelined them in recent games.

Mane was forced off with an injury in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Jan. 23 while Milner has missed the last seven games in all competitions due to a muscle injury.

"Millie (Milner) and Sadio are back. When they are back you start thinking (about starting them) immediately. I hope it stays like this," manager Jurgen Klopp told reporters ahead of Sunday morning's trip to bottom side Norwich City.

"Apart from (Xherdan) Shaqiri, (Nathaniel) Clyne and (Paul) Glatzel, all the players are in training. We have some good options, hopefully it stays like this, it would be great for the decisive part of the season."

Klopp also said that they had not made any decision on whether forward Mohamed Salah would compete for Egypt at the Olympics as one of their senior players.

- Reuters

PSG move to top of football power rankings

French champions Paris St Germain have overtaken Manchester City as the most financially powerful club in world football, the annual Soccerex Football Finance 100 report showed.

PSG topped the 2020 edition with a football finance index score of 5.318, which is based on the value of the current squad, tangible assets, finance available in their accounts, potential owner investment and net debt.

The study said PSG had reduced their debt by 70 million euros over the last year while City's debt levels had increased by more than 90 million euros.

Bayern Munich came third with Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid completing the top five.

Europe's elite sides accounted for 80% of the top 30 but almost half of those clubs are owned by non-European entities, including organisations and individuals from the Middle East, North American and Southeast Asia, the report said.

- Reuters