Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Auckland have gone top of the provincial rugby premiership after beating Taranaki 29-28 in Inglewood.

However Auckland stormed home to snatch the lead in the last five minutes when Salesi Rayasi scored his second try.

North Harbour moved off the bottom of the Premiership table with a 46-10 win over Hawke's Bay in Albany.

After beating defending champions Tasman last week, Harbour impressed again with Jared Page scoring a first half hat-trick.

Hawke's Bay will defend the Ranfurly Shield against Northland next weekend.

Otago scored with two minutes remaining to beat Wellington 35-34 in the capital.

Waikato remain unbeaten at the top of the north pool of the Farah Palmer Cup following a 62-10 win over North Harbour in the early game at Albany.

Waikato scored ten tries to confirm their place in the semi-finals.

Counties-Manukau held on to beat Bay of Plenty 17-10 in Pukekohe.

Heat force another game

Jimmy Butler scored a 35-point triple double and the Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-108 to stave off elimination and force a NBA Finals Game Six.

With their backs against the wall, the Heat refused to back down, surviving a 40-point onslaught from the Lakers LeBron James, thanks to outstanding three-point shooting, clutch-free throws and the all-round brilliance of Butler.

The Lakers, who trailed for most of the contest, had a chance to win it in the final seconds, but Danny Green's three- point shot came up short. The Lakers Markieff Morris got the rebound but threw the ball out of bounds.

The favored Lakers, whose lead is now 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, saw forward Anthony Davis re-aggravate a right heel injury late in the first quarter.

Davis returned after sitting out for several minutes, but struggled to find a rhythm and could be seen hobbling up the floor in the fourth quarter.

A healthy Davis will be key to achieving the Lakers' hopes of capturing a record-tying 17th title.

-Reuters

Warriors beaten again

Sydney Roosters playmaker Zahara Temara had the ball on a string to score a try and kick three goals to help guide her side to a 22-12 victory over the New Zealand Warriors in the NRLW.

The Warriors were a frantic shadow of themselves after last week's promising effort in their first match together as a team with poor decision-making and a lack of control from key members of their spine.

The Warriors were awarded a try through Kirra Dibb, who grubbered for herself two minutes before full-time to get the side on the board.

They finished on an even brighter note when Simone Smith sent Evania Pelite down the sideline on the stroke of the siren with the rugby sevens star fending off Caslick to race 60 metres to the line.

The Warriors have lost both matches in the competition

-NRL

Gatland honoured again

Chiefs coach Warren Gatland has received a Queens Birthday honour in Britain.

The former Wales coach has been awarded a CBE for services to rugby.

Gatland coached Wales for 12 years and won the Six Nations four times and completed three Grand Slams.

Gatland returned home to coach the Chiefs this year, although he is scheduled to head back to Britain next year to coach the British and Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa.

He was awarded an OBE in 2014.

-BBC

Ko still in the hunt at PGA Championship

Lydia Ko remains right in contention after reaching the halfway point at the third women's golf major of the year.

In pursuit of her third major title, and first win in two-and-a-half years, the Kiwi was just one shot off the lead when she closed out an even par 70 in her second round at the PGA Championship in Pennsylvania.

The former world No 1 had a steady day playing in one of the morning groups, balancing one birdie with one bogey and 16 pars.

The effort kept Ko at two-under for the tournament, with American duo Danielle Kang and Jennifer Kupcho both in the clubhouse at three-under.

Meanwhile fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox was also still in touch at the halfway stage of the European PGA Championship at Wentworth in England.

The Aucklander shot a two-under par 70 in round two to be tied for 10th, six shots off the lead.

Fox had three birdies and just one bogey as he dropped two places but fell a further four shots back of the tournament frontrunners.

World Rugby bans transgender women from top level

World Rugby has become the first international sports federation to say transgender women cannot compete at the elite and international level of the women's game.

New guidelines published today "do not recommend" transgender women play contact rugby "on safety grounds".

However, national unions can be flexible in their application of the guidelines at community level.

Transgender men remain permitted to play men's contact rugby.

It follows a "comprehensive, collaborative and inclusive review" of World Rugby's existing guidance.

In a statement, World Rugby said the review concluded "safety and fairness cannot presently be assured for women competing against transwomen in contact rugby".

-BBC

Eels star suspended

A setback for Parramatta's NRL play-off hopes with centre Michael Jennings being provisionally suspended after testing positive to banned substances.

The NRL says Jennings returned a positive A-sample for Ligandrol and Ibutamoren and now has the opportunity to have his B-sample analysed.

He was tested on September 21 with the result received by Sport Integrity Australia on October 9.

Jennings had been set to play in tonight's elimination final against South Sydney.

-NRL

Canterbury cruise past Turbos

Canterbury have moved to the top of the table in rugby's NPC.

The Red and Blacks cruised to a 34-10 win over Manawatu in Palmerston North on Friday night.

The visitors led 10-0 at halftime, before pulling further away in the second half of the five tries to two victory.

Canterbury moved two points past Tasman with the win but the Mako could reclaim top spot when they played Bay of Plenty in Nelson on Sunday.

Roosters out of title race

The reigning champions are out of the NRL title race.

Despite a strong finish, the Roosters were beaten 22-18 by Canberra in Friday night's preliminary semifinal in Sydney.

Victory for the Raiders avenged their controversial loss to the Roosters in last year's grand final, and also ended the Sydney's side hopes of a title three-peat.

The Raiders advanced to a clash with the Melbourne Storm in next week's semifinals.

Saturday nigt's preliminary semifinal had Parramatta up against South Sydney for the right to face minor premiers Penrith in the final four.