Latest - Fiji have edged the All Blacks Sevens on day two of the Oceania Sevens tournament in Townsville.
Black Ferns Sevens player Stacey Fluhler in action against Fiji on day one of the 2021 Oceania Sevens. Photo: Oceania Rugby
The defending Olympic champions led 14-7 at halftime, and hung on for the 21-19 win after New Zealand missed a penalty in added time.
The All Blacks Sevens had opened the tournament yesterday with a 28-5 win over Oceania before going on to edge Australia 24-21 in their second match.
The Black Ferns Sevens yesterday opened their tournament with a resounding 51-0 win over the Oceania women's team before running away with a 33-13 win over Fiji, boosted by a Portia Woodman hat-trick.
Mixed results for Coll and King in Cairo
New Zealand's leading squash players are through to the semifinals of the World Tour Finals in Cairo, despite mixed results.
Paul Coll. Photo: Supplied
Paul Coll won his third match in three games to top Pool B with victory over Frenchman Gregoire Marche 9-11, 11-1, 11-5.
"I thought it was a very high quality match. In the second and third I thought I controlled the match very well and I'm happy how it finished. I still had to win tonight, I'm happy to go undefeated and make it through to the semis," Coll said.
The third seed will now face world No.2 Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egypt) in the semifinals on Sunday morning (NZT).
In the women's draw, Joelle King was beaten in her final pool match at the World Tour Finals in Cairo, by world No.5 Haniaa El Hammamy (Egypt) 10-12, 5-11 in 25 minutes.
However King, the seventh seed, has still made the semifinals of the tournament and will play tomorrow morning against second ranked Nouran Gohar (Egypt) for a place in the final.
Melbourne United clinch ANBL title
Former Breakers coach Dean Vickerman has guided Melbourne United to their second Australian basketball league championship in four years.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019
United have clinched the 2021 title by beating the defending champion Perth Wildcats 81-76 in Melbourne to sweep the best-of-five grand final series three-nil.
Jock Landale led United with 15 points and nine rebounds and won the Larry Sengstock Medal as grand final MVP.
Tall Blacks point guard Shea Ili scored five points and dished three assists off the Melbourne bench.
It is Vickerman's third championship as a head coach.
He guided the Breakers to their fourth title in 2015 and Melbourne United to their first in 2018.
Professional debut for Ali's grandson
Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of former heavyweight champion and boxing legend Muhammad Ali, has signed a deal with Bob Arum's Top Rank Boxing and will have his first professional fight on August 14.
Muhammad Ali in his 1978 fight against Leon Spinks Photo: Actionplus Images
The 20-year-old middleweight is the son of Robert Walsh and Rasheda Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali's daughter.
"Signing with Top Rank is a dream come true," Ali Walsh said of the multi-fight deal.
"I am honored to continue the fighting legacy that my grandfather started. It is a responsibility I don't take lightly."
Ali Walsh said he will be juggling classes and being a professional boxer as he works to graduate next spring from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The signing brings 89-year-old Arum's career, which began when he promoted his first fight for Ali in 1966, full circle.
In all, Arum promoted 27 of the late Ali's fights including the epic 'Thrilla in Manila' bout against Joe Frazier and the rubber match against Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium.
- Reuters
Swimming Australia acknowledges historical abuse
Swimming Australia (SA) has acknowledged historical abuses of swimmers, some dating back decades, amid complaints of mistreatment from former athletes.
Australian swimming has been under the microscope since two-time Olympic silver medallist Madeline Groves withdrew from Tokyo Games trials, citing "misogynistic perverts" in the sport.
In response, SA said it would set up an all-female panel to investigate the experience of women and girls in the sport.
"We acknowledge some members of the swimming community have experienced unacceptable behaviour, some of this dates back decades," SA said in a statement on Saturday.
"The work to address and remedy this has been ongoing."
The Australian newspaper reported on Friday that six former swimmers had submitted allegations of mistreatment to SA and engaged a lawyer to represent them.
The allegations from the unnamed swimmers included being body-shamed by coaches and suffering health problems after being trained too hard.
- Reuters
Wimbledon draw released
Defending men's Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will face British teenage wildcard Jack Draper in his opening match at Wimbledon but Simona Halep, the women's winner at the last championships in 2019, will not feature after withdrawing.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
World number one Djokovic is halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam after winning the Australian and French Open titles, taking his overall tally to 19 majors.
Draper, 19, will be making his Grand Slam main draw debut.
Romanian Halep announced earlier that she would be pulling out of the tournament with a calf injury that prevented her from playing at the French Open.
Serena Williams, who Halep beat to won the title in 2019, will begin her latest quest to claim a record-equalling 24 Grand Slam titles, against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.
Women's top seed Ash Barty of Australia will face a first-round match against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro who recently returned to action having recovered from cancer.
Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who turns 40 this year, takes on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in round one.
- Reuters
Former All Blacks recognised by Western Force
Jeremy Thrush and Richard Kahui have been honoured at the Western Force's end of season awards dinner.
Jeremy Thrush. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
Thrush has been named the members' most valuable player, while fellow former All Black Richard Kahui has been presented the Force Man award.
"Jeremy is playing the best rugby of his career and is someone who gives his all in everything he does, which is clear to see every time he pulls on a Force jersey. He's a great clubman and this award is a testament to his character," Force CEO Tony Lewis said.
The Force Man award recognises a player's contribution in representing the club values both on and off-field, as voted for by the coaching staff.
"Kahui always has time for others and improves everyone around him. He embodies the Force values in such an authentic and consistent manner," Force head of rugby Matt Hodgson said.
Wynyard leads Taranaki to much-needed win
Former Tall Black Tai Wynyard has led the Taranaki Mountainairs to just their second win of the National Basketball League season.
Tai Wynyard in action against the Nelson Giants earlier in the NBL season. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
Wynyard has scored 31 points and pulled down 17 rebounds as the Mountainairs have beaten the Manawatu Jets 104-93 in New Plymouth.
Marcel Jones also contributed with 23 points and 11 rebounds for Taranaki.
Daishon Knight led the Jets with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Jayden Bezzant scored 16 points.
The Taranaki Mountainairs remain bottom of the NBL ladder, one win behind the Jets.