Latest - New Zealand women's tennis number one Paige Hourigan has maintained her unbeaten run in this week's Fed Cup Asia Oceania Group 2 tournament in Wellington.
New Zealand women's tennis number one Paige Hourigan. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand will meet the Philippines in tomorrow's final at the Asia Oceania Group 2 Fed Cup after sweeping past Singapore 3-nil.
Tomorrow's winner will be promoted to Group 1 for 2020.
Hourigan beat Singapore's Izabella Tan 6-1 6-1 after teammate Valentina Ivanov won the opening singles rubber against Sarah Pang by the same margin.
Emily Fanning and Erin Routliffe then teamed up to win the doubles rubber.
Kyle Jamieson will make Black Caps debut
Quick bowler Kyle Jamieson will make his Black Caps debut against India for the second ODI in Auckland tomorrow.
He's in for Scott Kuggeleijn who has the flu.
Stand in coach Shane Jurgensen said the 25-year-old had been putting his hand up for a while and at 6'8" could be quite an imposing figure.
Jurgensen said pace bowler Lockie Ferguson was close to a full return from injury and could play for Auckland this weekend.
Sevu Reece extends contract with NZ Rugby and Crusaders
All Blacks and Crusaders outside back Sevu Reece has announced he has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby and his Super Rugby club until 2022.
The 22-year-old had a breakout 2019 after being called into the Crusaders as a replacement, before joining the squad full-time and topping the try-scoring chart for the Super Rugby season with 15 tries.
He then got picked for the All Blacks, playing seven Tests in total in 2019, including four matches at the Rugby World Cup.
Reece said: "2019 was a surreal season for me with the Crusaders and All Blacks, so it was an easy decision to extend my time with the Crusaders club and continue to push for higher honours."
Crusaders Coach Scott Robertson said Sevu was a special player, and he was excited to work with him again.
NZ lose under-19 cricket semifinal
New Zealand lost the under-19 Cricket World Cup semifinal against Bangladesh in South Africa by six wickets.
Beckham Wheeler-Greenall Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Batting first New Zealand could only muster 211-8 in their 50 overs with Beckham Wheeler-Greenall top scoring with 75 not out while Nicholas Lidstone made 44, after the side had been 142 for six at one stage.
Bangladesh knocked off the target with six overs to spare and for the loss of just four wickets with Mahmudal Hasan Joy making a century and guiding Bangladesh to its first World Cup final across all levels.
The final will be contested between India and Bangladesh.
New Zealand will play-off for third against Pakistan.
Jones makes changes after Six Nations loss
England coach Eddie Jones has reacted to last week's opening Six Nations defeat by France by making five changes to his starting team to face Scotland in Edinburgh.
Eddie Jones Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Willi Heinz replaces Ben Youngs at halfback, Mako Vunipola returns from injury to the front row and George Kruis has been named in the second row. Lewis Ludlam comes in for Courtney Lawes at blindside flanker, with Tom Curry continuing at number eight, while Jonathan Joseph replaces injured Manu Tuilagi at outside centre.
Saracens' Ben Earl and Bath hooker Tom Dunn are set for a debut as two of six forwards on the bench. Dunn was recalled to the squad after Luke Cowan-Dickie left camp on Thursday to be with his partner, who has gone into labour.
Joe Marler, who started in Paris, is left out of the matchday squad, with Ellis Genge as loosehead back-up and Will Stuart covering tighthead.
England lost on their last visit to Murrayfield and drew 38-38 with Gregor Townsend's team at Twickenham last year after blowing a 31-0 lead. Scotland also lost their opening game of this season's competition, away to Ireland.
- Reuters
Injury setbacks for England fast bowler
Jofra Archer Photo: PHOTOSPORT
England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out of their upcoming test tour of Sri Lanka and the 2020 Indian Premier League season due to an elbow injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said.
The 24-year-old was injured in England's first test against South Africa last month and underwent scans on his elbow on Wednesday that confirmed he had suffered a low-grade stress fracture.
"He will now commence an injury rehabilitation programme with the ECB medical team with a view to be ready for the international summer campaign starting in June against the West Indies in a three-match Test series," the ECB said
England are scheduled to play two tests against Sri Lanka next month, with the first starting on 19 March.
- Reuters
Cricketers team up for charity
England will join hosts South Africa in raising funds for breast cancer charities by wearing a limited edition pink kit when the two teams play each other in the third one-day international (ODI) in Johannesburg on Sunday.
It will be the ninth time that South Africa have played in their traditional home 'Pink Day' match, but the first time their opponents have also pledged their support to the charitable initiative by sporting similar kits.
Funds raised from the ODI will go towards the Breast Care Unit at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg.
South Africa lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first ODI in Cape Town by seven wickets on Tuesday. The second ODI is on Friday in Durban.
- Reuters
New shoe launched after World Athletics ban
Nike Vaporfly ZoomX Photo: Nike
Nike has launched a new running shoe that complies with limits set by World Athletics after the governing body imposed a landmark ban on a version of the sportswear giant's Vaporfly shoes that was used to run the first sub-two hour marathon.
The first-ever shoe ban by World Athletics (WA) last week addressed concerns that technology advances are giving athletes an unfair and unnatural advantage, described by some critics as "technological doping".
New rules state road shoes must have soles no thicker than 40mm and not contain more than one rigid, embedded carbon fibre plate, and limit the use of some track spikes on the Vaporfly models, but permit the continued use of most of the range.
Nike has now duly launched the latest incarnation of the shoe - the Air Zoom Alphafly Next% - with one carbon plate and a sole thickness of 39.5mm, as well as newly added air pockets.
- Reuters