Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Crusaders hooker Shilo Klein has been suspended for three weeks after he was sent of for a high shot in their win over the Highlanders at the weekend.

Klein was shown a red card follow a shoulder hit on Highlanders prop Ethan de Groot.... he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Contact with the head warrants a starting entry point of six weeks, but the Foul Play Review Committee took into account Klein's clean judicial record, his acceptance of foul play and his expressed remorse.

His suspension is up until April 24th.

The Crusaders play the Hurricanes this weekend, followed by games against the Blues and Rebels.

The Reds loosie Tuaina Tualima was also given a three week ban for his dangerous clean in the Brumbies game.

Meanwhile Blues winger Caleb Clarke will face the judiciary tomorrow night after he was sent off for an aerial challenge on Moana Pasifika oppostite Tomasi Alosio at Eden Park.

3x3 World Cup draw announced

New Zealand's basketballers have found out who they will be playing at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Belguim in June.

There are four pools of five teams for both men's and women's categories in the first 3x3 World Cup since 2019.

The New Zealand men have been drawn in a loaded Pool A alongside number one seed Serbia, who will be seeking a record fifth title, as well as former silver medalist France, Puerto Rico and Brazil.

In the women's draw, New Zealand will face number two seed France, two-time World Cup winners USA along with Austria and Brazil.

This is the first edition of the 3x3 World Cup, where the only pool winners qualify directly to the quarter-finals while the teams ranked second and third move on to a play-in eighth-final.

Gunners downed by Bees

Arsenal's hopes of securing a top-four Premier League finish this season were dealt a blow as the below-par visitors suffered a 3-0 defeat against rampant Crystal Palace.

Arsenal were put to the sword in the first half by the clinical hosts, with goals from forwards Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew giving Palace a deserved 2-0 interval lead.

The Londoners improved after the break, with Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard missing big chances to get their team back in the match. Their wastefulness proved costly as Wilfried Zaha put the game to bed with a penalty 16 minutes from time.

Tottenham Hotspur's 5-0 home victory over Newcastle United yesterday means they are fourth, ahead of their of their north London rivals on goal difference having played a game more.

Palace, who continue to improve under former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, move up to ninth.

-Reuters

More success for cyclists

New Zealand women's track cyclists have picked up another couple of titles at the Oceania Championships in Brisbane.

The pairing of individual pursuit champion Bryony Botha and scratch race winner Ally Wollaston produced some outstanding tactics and teamwork to win the 30km madison race.

They won seven of the 10 sprints to finish on 45 points, well clear of both Australian teams on 20 and 19 respectively.

The victory not only added another title for the Cycling New Zealand team, and significant international ranking points, it also secures a start for New Zealand at this year's world championships in a key Olympic event.

Earlier Botha and Wollaston were joined by development riders Prudence Fowler and Ella Wyllie to win the women's 4000m team pursuit, clocking 4:17.302 to beat the Australians by over three seconds.

Another loss for Breakers

The Breakers have suffered their fifth straight loss in the Australian NBL going down to the Cairns Taipans for the second time in just over a week.

A big night from Yanni Wetzell wasn't enough as the Taipans won 87-77 in Hobart.

The Taipans made a great start leading 11-1, before Ousmane Dieng put up 16 first half points to get the Breakers back in the game as they trailled 47-40 at half time.

However Cairns closed the third quarter with the last seven points, opened the fourth term with an 8-1 run and that set up the eventual 10-point win.

Wetzell finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Dieng had 18 points, three rebounds and three steals.

after his hot start for New Zealand on top of the big game from Wetzell. Hugo Besson shook off his slow start for 16 points on 4/7 shooting from downtown while Peyton Siva added 10 points and three assists.

"Obviously we've been through a very tough season, probably two seasons, but it might be the first time that I really feel like it can be misery for our last five games. We have to do something to change it so it will be better," coach Dan Shamir said.

Proteas crush Bangladesh

Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took seven wickets as South Africa made light work of bowling Bangladesh out for 53 in 19 overs in their second innings to claim a 220-run victory in the first test at Kingsmead.

It was the lowest test innings total at Kingsmead, less than the 66 India managed in 1996.

Bangladesh had been set a target of 274 for the win but resumed on day five on 11 for three and were bowled out inside 55 minutes.

Maharaj took 7-32 and fellow spinner Simon Harmer 3-21 to complete a dominant performance for the home side, who were missing five first team regulars that have opted to play in the Indian Premier League, including their entire frontline pace attack.

South Africa's lack of bowling options had in part forced them to play two spinners at a venue that has traditionally been known to favour the seamers.

The second and final test begins in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, on Thursday.

-Reuters

Allen to play in Yorkshire

New Zealand cricketer Finn Allen has signed for English County cricket side Yorkshire for this year's T20 Blast ccompetition.

The 22-year-old batter is currently playing alongside Yorkshire all-rounder David Willey at Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

He will join the Vikings from the sixth match in this season's T20 Blast until the end of the group stage.

"I'm really looking forward to returning to county cricket for the upcoming Blast," said Allen.

"I am currently spending a fair bit of time at RCB with David Willey, so it's great to be able to establish that relationship prior to arriving."

Allen joins the club as replacement for Pakistan international Haris Rauf, who has joined for the early portion of the County Championship season and Blast.

The New Zealander has previously played in the T20 Blast during a spell with Lancashire last season.

-BBC

Tennis officials getting tough on naughty players

Tennis officials will dish out stricter punishments for on-court misconduct, the ATP warned players in an internal note as the men's governing body also simultaneously reviews its guidelines to clamp down on repeat offenders.

Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios was fined $60,000 for a series of angry outbursts at the Indian Wells and Miami Open events, with many observers saying he should have been disqualified.

German Alexander Zverev was thrown out of a tournament in Acapulco in February after smashing his racket repeatedly against the umpire's chair following a doubles defeat.

"Effective immediately and as we head into the clay court swing, the ATP officiating team has been directed to take a stricter stance in judging violations of the Code of Conduct," ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said.

"Additionally, we are also undertaking a review of the Code, as well as the disciplinary processes, to ensure that it provides appropriate and up-to-date penalties for serious violations and repeat offenders."

The ATP came under fire for what many pundits and fans perceived to be soft punishments from the governing body.

-Reuters

Lanning leads tournament team

Australia's Meg Lanning has been named captain of the tournament team from the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup after guiding her side to the title and scoring 394 runs.

Four Australians have made the team, including Player of the Tournament Alyssa Healy. The wicket-keeper-batter made two centuries in the knockout stages, including 170 in the final.

Lanning's vice-captain Rachael Haynes is selected after ending as the second-highest run-scorer on 497, with 130 of those coming in their opening game against England. Haynes is carded to bat at four with her usual opening partner Healy joined by South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt at the top.

The 22-year-old crashed five half-centuries as the Proteas reached the semi-finals, and is one of three South Africans selected.

No New Zealanders made the team....

Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)

Alyssa Healy (wk) (Australia)

Meg Lanning (capt) (Australia)

Rachael Haynes (Australia)

Nat Sciver (England)

Beth Mooney (Australia)

Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

Marizanne Kapp (South Africa)

Sophie Ecclestone (England)

Shabnim Ismail (South Africa)

Salma Khatun (Bangladesh)

12th player: Charlie Dean (England)

World Rugby needs a strong Australia

Rugby needs a strong Australia and awarding the country back-to-back men's and women's World Cups in 2027 and 2029 would present a golden opportunity to revitalise the game Down Under, World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said.

Gilpin was speaking after the announcement that Australia would be World Rugby's preferred candidate to host the 2029 women's World Cup, a status it already enjoys for the 2027 men's tournament.

With the fifth Olympic sevens tournaments scheduled to take place at the Brisbane Games in 2032, Australia will have a lengthy period as the centre of the rugby world and a chance to arrest the decline of the last few years.

"Australia is a huge player on the international stage, we want Australian rugby to be strong, we want rugby here to be back to being a really strong sport for kids," Gilpin said.

"This decade-long opportunity culminating in the Olympics is a massive chance for that."

Rugby Australia needed a $15 million loan from World Rugby last year after financial issues spiralled into a full-blown crisis because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

England is the preferred candidate for the 2025 women's tournament, while World Rugby is holding exclusive discussions with the United States over the 2031 men's and 2033 women's events.

-Reuters