8 Apr 2019

Today's sports news: What you need to know

11:43 am on 8 April 2019

Tug of war continues between Australia and NZ athletics for star teenage sprinter Edward Osei-Nketia.

New Zealand sprinter Edward Osei Nketia.

New Zealand sprinter Edward Osei Nketia. Photo: Photosport

Athletics Australia is making a dramatic last-ditch bid to convince New Zealand-born sprint star Edward Osei-Nketia to wear the green and gold at international level.

The 17-year-old, a schoolboy rugby star at Wellington's Scots College, took down the likes of Rohan Browning and Trae Williams to claim victory in the men's 100m at the Australian championships on the weekend.

Osei-Nketia spent eight years in Canberra before moving back to Wellington last year to finish his schooling.

AA officials had hoped to talk with Osei- Nketia and his father and coach Gus in Sydney on Sunday, but the proposed meeting did not happen.

Osei-Nketia must decide before June's Oceania championships whether he wishes to represent Australia or New Zealand at international level.

South Africa's Kings to make play for former All Black Julian Savea

South African rugby team the Southern Kings are reportedly willing to cut as many as 20 players from their squad in an effort to sign former All Black wing Julian Savea from French club Toulon.

South African newspaper Rapport claim Savea, who has fallen out of favour at Toulon, is the player the Kings most want to recruit.

The Kings were dumped from Super Rugby in 2017 and now play in the European Pro14 competition.

Scott Dixon continues strong start to Indy Car season

The New Zealand driver and defending Indy Cars series champion Scott Dixon has finished second at the latest round in Alabama.

The race was won by Japan's Takuma Sato.

The result lifts Dixon to second in the overall standings after the first three races.

Watford beat Wolves in dramatic FA Cup football semi-final

Watford came back from two goals down to beat fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton after extra time in a thrilling FA Cup football semi-final at Wembley.

With 11 minutes left, Wolves led 2-nil and looked on course for their first FA Cup final since 1960.

However Watford then scored twice, the second a penalty in injury time to draw level, before bagging a third goal in the 104th minute to advance to their first FA Cup final since 1984.

They'll play Premier League champions Manchester City for the FA Cup title on May 18th.

Fiji win record Hong Kong Sevens title

Fiji have reigned supreme at the Hong Kong Sevens leg of the World Series for a fifth consecutive time after a 21 to 7 win over France in the final.

Meanwhile the New Zealand men's sevens team suffered their first ever loss to the in-form French, knocked out in a 14-12 defeat in the quarter-finals.

The All Black sevens finished sixth in the competition and are now third in the overall World Series standings behind Fiji and leaders the United States.

Corey Norman does it again for Dragons in golden point

Corey Norman nailed his second game-winning field goal in as many weeks to give St George Illawarra a 13-12 golden point NRL win over Newcastle.

Norman missed shots late in regular time and in the first period of extra time but then coolly slotted his third attempt in the 88th minute on Sunday.

The Knights also had opportunities to steal the win, but Mitchell Pearce missed both of his attempts, including one that just sailed wide from halfway.

Norman's 42-metre clincher came after an ineffective midfield bomb from Pearce, who struggled with his kicking game for most of the night.

Arsenal's top four hopes take a hit

Arsenal's hopes of a top-four finish in English football's Premier League were dented as Everton claimed a dominant 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.

It marked a significant setback for disappointing Arsenal, who remain fourth in the table but missed an opportunity to leap ahead of their third-placed north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Unai Emery's side stay on 63 points, one behind Spurs, level with fifth-placed Chelsea and two clear of Manchester United in an increasingly tight battle for the Champions League berths.

Cambridge beat Oxford in famous boat race

Cambridge beat Oxford by two seconds to win the 165th men's Varsity boat race on the River Thames with double Olympic champion James Cracknell rowing himself into the record books as part of the victorious crew.

At the age of 46, Cracknell became the oldest person to compete in the race as Cambridge held off a late Oxford surge on the home stretch to win in a time of 16 minutes 57 seconds.

It was a victorious return to the water for Cracknell, who had retired from competitive rowing in 2006 but qualified for the event because he is studying for a Master of Philosophy degree in human evolution at Cambridge.

Cambridge also comfortably won their third successive women's race earlier in the day with a time of 18 minutes 47 seconds, 17 seconds ahead of Oxford.

Cambridge's men extended their head-to-head record to 84-80 while the women lead 44-30.

Rebels centre to face Super Rugby judiciary

Melbourne centre Billy Meakes must front the SANZAAR judicial committee tonight after being cited for foul play during the Rebels' Super Rugby home win over the Sunwolves on the weekend.

Meakes was cited by the SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee for a late and high tackle on Sunwolves centre Jason Emery in the second half.

The Wallaby hopeful wasn't penalised for the 66th minute tackle at the time.

Meakes is alleged to have contravened Law 9.13: "A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously."