Latest- The Panthers ensured there would be no fairytale farewell for the Warriors after almost three years in Australia as they continued their charge towards back-to-back premierships with a 40-6 triumph on Saturday night.
Stacey Jones Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The match was the last for the Warriors before finally returning to New Zealand for an emotional homecoming match against Wests Tigers in two weeks after being forced to stay in Australia since the start of the 2020 premiership due to Covid-19.
In just their second match since Stacey Jones took over the coaching reins from Nathan Brown, the Warriors showed some resolve and improvement on last weekend's 38-16 loss to the Sharks but they were no match for Penrith.
The Panthers scored seven tries to one and were never really threatened as they head to a week off due to representative round with just one loss in 15 matches this season and a four point break from the second-placed Melbourne Storm.
- NRL
World number one drops out of Wimbledon
Former world number one Naomi Osaka has pulled out of Wimbledon due to a left Achilles injury, the four-times Grand Slam champion said.
Naomi Osaka Photo: AFP
Japan's Osaka suffered the injury in Madrid, forcing her to miss the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome in the leadup to the French Open where she lost in the first round.
Last week she posted a video on social media, saying: "Here's me running on a underwater treadmill because my Achilles is being stubborn still (sic) I must be aging or something."
Osaka had said after her defeat at Roland Garros that she was not 100 percent sure if she would play on grass this season.
The men's ATP and women's WTA took away ranking points from the grasscourt Grand Slam after organisers the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) decided to ban participation by Russian and Belarusian players following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Osaka had reasoned that playing in the major without the possibility of earning points would not help her ranking and the decision of the authorities had reduced her motivation to play.
Osaka, who is ranked 43rd, also pulled out of Wimbledon last year after taking time off for "personal reasons" -- a month after quitting the French Open due to mental health issues.
- Reuters
Policy on transgender swimmers put to vote
FINA will vote on a new policy regarding transgender swimmers at an extraordinary general congress in Budapest on Sunday, the global governing body of swimming said.
Lia Thomas Photo:
The regulations could have a major impact on the career of American Lia Thomas, the first known transgender woman to win a NCAA Division I title in the female class.
The congress will hear a report from a transgender task force comprised of "leading medical, legal and sports" figures and then vote on the new inclusion policy, a FINA spokesman said.
The issue of transgender inclusion in sport is highly divisive, particularly in the United States where it has become a weapon in the so-called "culture war" between conservatives and progressives.
Opponents to transgender athletes in women's sport, which include British former Olympic medallist Sharron Davies, maintain that anyone who goes through male puberty will always have a major physical advantage over women.
Advocates for transgender inclusion argue that not enough studies have yet been done on the impact of transition on physical performance, and that elite athletes are often physical outliers in any case.
Cycling's global governing body this week amended its rules on transgender participation.
The UCI doubled the period before transgender athletes are allowed to move from one sex class to another from 12 to 24 months and halved the maximum permitted testosterone level to 2.5 nmol/L.
- Reuters
Formula One title contender sent to back of the grid
Ferrari title contender Charles Leclerc will start from the back of the grid in the Canadian Grand Prix after picking up more penalties for exceeding his power unit allocation.
Ferrari title contender Charles Leclerc Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The drop is a further blow to his hopes of reeling in Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen, who was fastest in practice at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The governing FIA said Ferrari had used a fourth internal combustion engine, one more than the rules allow for the whole season.
He had already used one too many control electronics in practice, triggering an automatic 10-place drop for the first breach.
Ferrari also added another turbocharger, Leclerc's fourth of the campaign when only three are allowed without penalty, with further breaches for additional motor generator units.
Leclerc has retired due to power unit problems in two of the past three races while leading, despite starting from pole position in the last four rounds.
He has plunged from championship frontrunner after three races to third overall, 34 points adrift of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, after eight of 22 rounds.
- Reuters
Suprised pole sitter for MotoGP
Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia set a lap record at the Sachsenring in practice and grabbed his third pole position of the season to start at the front of the grid at the German Grand Prix.
Francesco Bagnaia Photo: PHOTOSPORT
On a track where Ducati have struggled in recent years, Bagnaia was the only rider to finish his qualifying lap inside the one minute 20 second mark (1:19.931).
Bagnaia, last year's runner-up in the championship, had set the lap record during FP3. He will be joined on the front row by two Frenchmen -- Yamaha's world championship leader Fabio Quartararo and Pramac Racing's Johann Zarco.
"I'm happy, we've done a great job in these conditions. It's very hot and tomorrow will be even hotter. It was a great session," Bagnaia said.
"I was surprised to start the week like this but the (good) feeling has grown session by session and now I feel very comfortable with everything."
Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, second in the standings, will start fourth on the grid alongside Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing) and Ducati's Jack Miller, who could receive a grid penalty for crashing under yellow flags.
Gresini's Enea Bastianini, third in the riders' standings with three race wins this season, had another disappointing qualifying session as he failed to move into Q2 for a second straight grand prix and will start 17th on the grid.
Suzuki will have only 2020 champion Joan Mir competing for the Japanese team on Sunday following Alex Rins's withdrawal after the third free practice session due to a wrist injury.
Six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez won the last eight races at the Sachsenring but with the Honda rider sidelined after another surgery on his right arm, a new winner will be crowned.
- Reuters
Leicester claim English Premiership rugby title
Replacement flyhalf Freddie Burns landed a last-minute drop goal to give Leicester their first English Premiership rugby title for nine years as they overcame a dogged Saracens 15-12 at Twickenham.
First-half tries by South African forwards Hanro Liebenberg and Jasper Wiese when Saracens were down to 14 men swung the game Leicester's way as they led 12-6 at the break.
Leicester dominated possession in the second half but Saracens defended superbly and forced their way back, earning two penalties which Farrell slotted to level the match with four minutes remaining.
Leicester regrouped, however, inching their way within range for Burns, who had not scored a drop goal all season and was on as a first-half replacement for George Ford, to settle it.
- Reuters