Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - The Wellington Phoenix are returning to Wollongong and will play home games for both their men's and women's teams in the southern New South Wales city in the 2021/22 A-League season.

Both teams leave from Wellington on Monday on a charter flight to New South Wales.

As a condition of overseas travel and to ensure ease of travel within Australia, all players and staff across all the squads are fully vaccinated and tested prior to departure.

The club has been granted an exemption by the NSW Government and Border Force to enter NSW without needing to quarantine.

Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome said the team was progressing with plans to return to New Zealand in January next year.

The club is scheduled to play four consecutive men's home matches in New Zealand from 29 January - part of its nine home matches overall on home soil.

Warner in form as Australia thump Sri Lanka

David Warner's return to form was the icing on the cake as Australia thumped Sri Lanka by seven wickets for their second successive victory at the Twenty20 World Cup.

Chasing the only major global trophy to elude them, Australia restricted Sri Lanka to 154-6 at the Dubai International Stadium.

When they returned, Warner, aided by some luck, made 65 as Australia chased down the target with three overs to spare to join Ashes rivals England as the only two teams in Group I with a perfect record.

Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to field against 2014 world champions Sri Lanka.

Spinner Adam Zampa bowled 12 dot balls in his four overs to claim 2-12.

Australia play England on Sunday.

Vaccination stance threatens Kiwis player's contract

Kiwis rugby league player Nelson Asofa-Solomona is in line to be the first NRL player stood down for refusing Covid-19 vaccination.

The Sydney Morning Herald are reporting the Melbourne Storm forward has told the club he doesn't want to be vaccinated.

Health orders in Victoria mean unvaccinated players are not able to enter the Storm's facility.

The club are said to be speaking to the NRL, and are looking into their legal options, with Asofa-Solomona not due back at training until December 1.

For Melbourne, the situation is not as simple as sacking the powerful 25-year-old Wellington-born player.

Teams in other states don't face the same restrictions, meaning if he is signed by another side he would come up against the Storm in the 2022 competition.

De Kock appologises, will take a knee

Quinton de Kock has apologised for pulling out of Tuesday's Twenty20 World Cup win over the West Indies after rejecting a Cricket South Africa directive that players must "take a knee" in support of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.

In a statement released via CSA, De Kock, who also revealed he has mixed race family, said he meant no disrespect and "would love nothing more than to play cricket for my country again".

"I understand the importance of standing against racism, and I also understand the responsibility of us as players to set an example," De Kock said.

"If me taking a knee helps to educate others, and makes the lives of others better, I am more than happy to do so.

"I did not, in any way, mean to disrespect anyone. I'm deeply sorry for all the hurt, confusion and anger that I have caused."

De Kock says his change of heart came after the players had a meeting with the CSA board.

The wicketkeeper-batsman hopes to return to the team for Saturday's crucial third group game against Sri Lanka.

-Reuters

Guptill suffers injury

Black Caps batsman Martin Guptill has a badly bruised toe after suffering an injury against Pakistan but the opener is expected to be fit for the team's Twenty20 World Cup clash against India on Monday morning.

Guptill suffered a crushing blow to his left toe from a Haris Rauf delivery just before he was dismissed for 17 during New Zealand's five-wicket loss to Pakistan in Sharjah on Wednesday.

The experienced opening batsman was considered a doubtful starter for the Super 12 game against India in Dubai.

"Martin Guptill's left big toe is badly bruised and pretty sore but the sense is that he will still be available for Sunday night's (Monday morning's NZ time) game," New Zealand Cricket said in a statement.

"He will be further assessed at training tomorrow (Friday)."

New Zealand will train on Friday and Saturday ahead of the India game, with both sides having lost their opening Super 12 game against Pakistan.

The Black Caps have already lost fast bowler Lockie Ferguson for the tournament due to a calf muscle tear.

Rennie says Wallabies will review selection policy

Disappointed Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said Australia will review its selection policy at the end of the year after first-five Quade Cooper joined midfielder Samu Kerevi and loose forward Sean McMahon in opting out of the tour of Britain.

Rennie confirmed that Cooper had become the third of the Japan-based trio to choose club over country after playing for the Wallabies during the Rugby Championship.

The loss of Cooper and Kerevi, particularly, is a huge blow for the side ahead of November tests against Scotland, England and Wales. The pair were pivotal in helping the Wallabies' string five test wins in succession.

Rennie was given Rugby Australia's blessing to pick overseas-based players in his squad, a departure from the usual policy of limiting selection to those with 60 or more test caps.

But with his best-laid plans having blown up in his face, Rennie declined to confirm that he would pick any of the three Japan-based players again.

"Ideally we want guys who are desperate to be Wallabies," he said.

The three players were free to leave their clubs to join the Wallabies for the international window. The November tests are scheduled during the clubs' offseason.

Rennie was reluctant to criticise the players but said they had told him during the Rugby Championship they were keen to tour Britain.

Rennie will look to James O'Connor to take back the number 10 shirt he wore last season before injury struck this year.

-Reuters

Yorkshire won't take any action despite being found guilty of racism

Yorkshire will not take any disciplinary action against its employees, players or executives following an independent report into allegations of racism by former player Azeem Rafiq.

Yorkshire had last month provided a summary of the report, apologising to Rafiq and accepting that he was a victim of racial harassment and bullying during his first spell at the county between 2008 and 2014.

Rafiq, a player of Pakistani descent and a former captain of the England Under-19s, last year said he was made to feel like an outsider at Yorkshire and contemplated taking his own life.

The county, however, said that it had carried out an internal investigation following the findings of the report and come to the conclusion that there was no conduct that warranted disciplinary action.

Rafiq, 30, tweeted: "Hold on a minute here So you accept I was the victim of racial harassment and bullying but no one warrants disciplinary action? Sometimes you just want to scream!!!! @ECB_cricket come on now!!! Sort this before I do!!"

Yorkshire added that a copy of the report had been sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board.

-Reuters

Barjuan to look after Barca

Barcelona have named their 'B' side coach Sergi Barjuan as interim manager following the departure of Ronald Koeman.

Dutchman Koeman was sacked after Barca's 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, their fourth defeat in six games in all competitions.

Former midfielder Xavi, who enjoyed a trophy-laden 17-year career at the club and is currently head coach of Qatari side Al Sadd, is widely tipped to take over on a permanent basis.

Barcelona are ninth in the standings with 15 points from 10 games while in the Champions League they face a crucial match away to Dynamo Kiev on Nov. 2 when defeat would leave them in serious danger of failing to reach the knockout phase.

While Barjuan has been entrusted with steadying the ship, it looks increasingly likely that Barcelona have earmarked former Spain international Xavi as Koeman's replacement.

He was a key player in a golden era for the club before leaving in 2015 to play for Al Sadd, then taking over as head coach in 2019 after hanging up his boots.

-Reuters

Businessman found guilty after footballers death

David Henderson, the British businessman who organised the flight that crashed and led to the death of football player Emiliano Sala, has been found guilty by the Cardiff Crown Court of endangering the safety of the aircraft.

Henderson, 67, had been accused of failing to follow safety protocols that caused the death of 28-year-old Sala and pilot David Ibbotson when their plane crashed into the English Channel on a flight from Nantes to Cardiff in January 2019.

The body of Sala, who had signed for Cardiff City in a $30 million transfer just days earlier, was found a month later, while Ibbotson's has still not been recovered.

Prosecutor Martin Goudie had argued that Henderson had been "reckless or negligent" in the way he operated the plane, putting his business above the safety of passengers.

It was earlier revealed that Ibbotson, who regularly flew for Henderson, did not hold a commercial pilot's licence or a qualification to fly at night.

-Reuters

IOC to decide on future of boxing and weightlifting

The International Olympic Committee will make a decision as early as possible on whether boxing and weightlifting will be at the Paris 2024 Games, president Thomas Bach said.

"We are quite concerned because in these two federations there are problems of good governance and that is why we are currently monitoring them very closely," Bach told French sports daily L'Equipe.

"We will make a decision as soon as possible in the interest of the athletes."

Both sports have been struggling with governance problems and their participation in the next Summer Games is hanging in the balance.

Last month, an independent investigation commissioned by boxing's governing body AIBA revealed that a bout manipulation system existed at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

About weightlifting, Bach said earlier this year that "with regard of good governance I think we still need to see a culture change in this international federation".

-Reuters