12 Mar 2019

Today's sport news: What you need to know

2:37 pm on 12 March 2019

Latest - Conor McGregor was arrested in Miami Beach on Monday local time after a fan said the Irish mixed martial arts fighter smashed his phone and then walked off with the shattered remains, police records show.

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor Photo: Photosport

McGregor, 30, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami on suspicion of robbery and criminal mischief, according to an arrest affidavit filed in connection with the incident, which took place shortly after 5 a.m. on Monday.

"The victim and the defendant were exiting the Fountainbleau Hotel and the victim attempted to take a picture of the defendant with his cell phone," the arrest report said, without identifying the second man's name.

"The defendant slapped the victim's phone out of his hand, causing it to fall to the floor. The defendant then stomped on the victim's phone several times, damaging it," the report said, adding that the device was valued at $1,000.

McGregor was taken into custody later on Monday. It was not immediately clear if he had retained a local attorney to represent him.

McGregor was charged in April 2018 with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief after police said he attacked a charter bus in New York carrying UFC fighters, throwing a moving dolly through a window and injuring other fighters.

He later pleaded guilty to a reduced disorderly conduct charge.

-Reuters

F1 to award a point for fastest lap

Formula 1 has confirmed it will change its scoring system this year by giving a point to the driver who sets the fastest lap in a grand prix.

The move is part of an attempt to make the sport more appealing and so grow audiences.

Drivers will only receive the extra point if they also finish in the top 10 in the race.

The team whose car sets the fastest lap will also gain an extra point for the constructors' championship.

The rule will be in place for the start of the new season in Australia this weekend.

Williamson's in doubt for third Test and football fan gets prison time for pitch invasion.

New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson is in doubt for the rest of the Test series against Bangladesh because of a shoulder injury.

Williamson fell awkwardly while fielding on Sunday.

Kane Williamson batting against Bangladesh.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

He struggled with the injury while batting yesterday and needed help from the team physio a couple of times.

Williamson had scans yesterday and is expected to undergo more Tests today.

He didn't take the field in Bangladesh's second innings.

The third test starts in Christchurch on Saturday.

For more on the state of the current Test match click here.

Black Ferns Sevens to play in Pukekohe

The Black Ferns Sevens will get a hit out this weekend as part of a seven's tournament in Pukekohe.

The new tournament follows the Black Ferns debut on home soil in Hamilton in January and provides some much-needed game time before the women's world series returns in Japan next month.

To help offset the rustiness of a nine-week gap, the Black Ferns Sevens will play against China, Thailand, a Japanese club team and the Black Ferns Sevens Development team.

New Zealand top the womens world series standings after winning the first three rounds.

Football fan jailed after pitch invasion

Jack Grealish of Aston Villa.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

A Birmingham City fan has been jailed for 14 weeks for running onto the field of play and punching Aston Villa's Jack Grealish during an English Championship match at the weekend.

Paul Mitchell, a 27-year-old former pub employee, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates' Court to charges of assault and encroachment.

Mitchell was also banned for 10 years from attending any football match in Britain and ordered to pay 200 dollars compensation to Grealish as part of costs amounting to 700 dollars.

The court heard that Mitchell's family had left Birmingham after receiving death threats.

Another NRL player in hot water

The NRL career of Parramatta forward Peni Terepo is on the line after he was escorted off a flight for being drunk and abusive and stood down by the club.

The Auckland-born Tongan international became the latest in a long line of players to give the NRL a black eye following an off-season in which the game has lurched from one crisis to the next.

It's understood the 27-year-old was met by police at Auckland Airport on Saturday after becoming argumentative with Air New Zealand airline staff over the consumption of alcohol which he had brought on to the flight.

In 2017, he was fined $15,000 and suspended for three games after failing to inform the club he had pleaded guilty to careless driving and refusing a blood- alcohol test in Auckland.

Bennett's team on top in France

Nelson professional cyclist George Bennett has helped his Dutch Lotto team-mate to a second straight win on the Paris-Nice tour in France.

Dylan Groenewegen won the second stage to remain on top in general classification.

Bennett is 28th overall, 25 seconds behind his Dutch tem-mate.

Zidane returns to the Bernabeu

Spanish football giants Real Madrid have sacked Santiago Solari and reappoint former coach Zinedine Zidane.

French football legend Zinedine Zidane

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Zidane won an unprecedented three consecutive Champions League titles with Real before resigning in May last year.

Madrid's entire season has collapsed in the space of a week, with double Clasico defeats by Barcelona knocking them out of the Copa del Rey and leaving them 12 points adrift in La Liga.

Real were also eliminated from the Champions League last week in the last 16 by Ajax.

Former Spain coach Julen Lopetegui replaced Zidane but was sacked in October with Solari taking the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu.

For more on Zidane's return to Real Madrid click here.

Russian athletics still on the outer

World athletics governing body IAAF has decided not to lift a ban on Russia's athletics federation over doping, saying it was still waiting to receive data collected from Moscow and financial compensation for its investigations.

Russia's athletics federation (RUSAF) has been suspended since 2015 following a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report that found evidence of widespread doping in the sport.

The IAAF's governing council discussed the possibility of lifting the ban at a meeting in Doha this week.

But Rune Andersen, chair of the IAAF's Russia Taskforce, said Moscow had yet to meet the required conditions.

Some individual Russian athletes have been allowed to compete internationally as neutrals since 2015 provided they met certain criteria that showed they had operated in a dope-free environment.

Another milestone for Ronnie O'Sullivan

Five-time snooker world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has claimed another milestone, becoming the first player to make 1000 century breaks.

O'Sullivan showed perfect timing to make the landmark break of 134 to clinch a 10-4 win over Australian Neil Robertson in the final of the elite Players Championship in Lancashire.

The 43-year-old Englishman's triumph was his 35th ranking victory since turning professional in 1992.

Closest to O'Sullivan's 1000 mark, Scottish greats Stephen Hendry and John Higgins finished with 775 and 745 respectively.