14 Apr 2019

Today's sports news: What you need to know

5:57 pm on 14 April 2019

Latest - The New Zealand men's hockey team remains winless in the Pro League.

Sam Lane of New Zealand and Juan Catan of Argentina react in the FIH Pro League Hockey match, North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand, Sunday, March 10, 2019. Copyright photo: David Rowland / www.photosport.nz

Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019

The Black Sticks have been beaten 4-3 by Argentina in Rosario, after going three goals behind in the first quarter.

Sam Lane pulled a goal back for New Zealand before the first break and then scored a second seven minutes into the second period.

Argentina took a 4-2 lead at halftime and held on for the win, with George Muir's 47th minute goal all the Black Sticks were able to show for their second-half efforts.

New Zealand sits bottom of the eight-nation men's Pro League with two draws and six defeats from its eight matches.

Black Sticks women also come up short in Rosario

The New Zealand women's hockey team earlier slumped to its sixth defeat of the Pro League.

Captain Stacey Michelsen of New Zealand is challenged by Silvina d'elia of Argentina in the FIH Pro League Hockey match, North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand, Sunday, March 10, 2019. Copyright photo: David Rowland / www.photosport.nz

Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019

The Black Sticks have given up a one-nil lead to lose 3-1 to Argentina in Rosario.

The first quarter was scoreless and it remained so until the 26th minute when New Zealand captain Stacey Michelsen scored from a penalty corner.

It took Argentina just three minutes to equalise but another 19 minutes before they took the lead.

The hosts then added a third eight minutes from fulltime.

The Black Sticks are now sixth in the nine nation women's competition and facing an uphill battle to make the semi-finals

Fiji too strong for All Blacks Sevens in Singapore

Fiji has beaten the New Zealand men's sevens team 19-5 in the quarter-finals of the world series tournament in Singapore this afternoon.

HONG KONG,HONG KONG SAR, CHINA. April 7th 2019.
Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens Rugby Argentina vs New Zealand (Plate Finals)
Kurt Baker of New Zealand celebrates after scores a try
PhotoSport NZ / Yu Chun Christopher Wong

Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019

Fiji, the Hong Kong Sevens champions, snuck through to the last eight of the cup competition after defeats to South Africa and Scotland in its group while the New Zealanders progressed through undefeated in pool play.

But although Tim Mikkelsen gave the All Blacks Sevens an early 5-0 lead with a second-minute try in their quarter-final, the Kiwis were unable to score again.

They now meet Australia in the fifth-place semi-final, after the Australians were defeated 31-19 by England in their quarter-final.

South Africa will play the US and Fiji will meet England in the Cup semi-finals.

FIFA boss calls on members to act against racism

FIFA has urged national football federations and leagues to adopt their own tough rules on dealing with racism, including allowing referees to stop or abandon matches.

Football's global governing body has issued a statement in response to recent incidents in the game with president Gianni Infantino saying the cases were "sad".

"This is really not acceptable. Racism has no place in football, just as it has no place in society either," said Infantino.

FIFA has a "three-step procedure" for games under its control, a system which allows referees to stop and later abandon a match in case of discriminatory incidents.

"FIFA urges all member associations, leagues, clubs and disciplinary bodies to adopt the same procedure, as well as a zero-tolerance approach to incidents of racism in football, and to apply harsh sanctions for any such kind of behaviour," said the statement.

- Reuters

McLaughlin wins again at Phillip Island

Scott McLaughlin has claimed a seventh victory of the 2019 Supercars season at the Phillip Island SuperSprint, leading home team-mate Fabian Coulthard.

Scott McLaughlin wins race 1 of the WD-40 Phillip Island SuperSprint Event 4 of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, Phillip Island, Victoria. Australia. 13th April 2019.

Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019

After McLaughlin claimed pole by six tenths, the Shell Mustangs were the class of the field on Saturday afternoon.

McLaughlin eventually won the 27-lap race by 1.2395 seconds, while Kelly Racing Nissan driver Andre Heimgartner took third, which is the second New Zealand trifecta of the season.

That is Heimgartner's maiden solo Supercars podium, while Jamie Whincup was among the drivers in the wars after shedding a wheel.

McLaughlin now leads Coulthard by 136 points in the championship.

The result is the fourth one-two finish for Shell V-Power Racing in nine races this year.

There is a further qualifying session and 200km race on Sunday.

Dixon qualifies second at Long Beach

Scott Dixon will start from the front row of the grid in tomorrow morning's Indy Car race in California.

The reigning series champion has qualified second fastest for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, behind American Alexander Rossi.

Dixon sits second in the championship standings, behind another American, Josef Newgarden, who will start from fourth, behind Australian Will Power.

Bottas claims pole in Shanghai

Valtteri Bottas will start Formula One's 1,000th world championship race from pole position after leading Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton in a front row lockout at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Finnish driver Valterri Bottas.

Finnish driver Valterri Bottas. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel qualified third, ahead of 21-year-old Monegasque team mate Charles Leclerc who was unable to repeat his Bahrain Grand Prix pole of two weeks ago.

Bottas, who won the season opener in Australia and leads defending champion Hamilton by one point in the standings, was the third different driver to take pole this season in three races.

The pole was a first for Bottas since Russia last September and the seventh of his career. It was also his first in China where Mercedes have won five of the last seven races.

-Reuters

Roosters climb to second in the NRL

The Sydney Roosters have outclassed the Sharks 30-16 in their NRL match in Cronulla.

Roosters celebrate 2018 NRL title.

Roosters celebrate 2018 NRL title. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

It's the Roosters' fourth straight win and lifts last year's premiers into second place ladder behind the unbeaten Melbourne Storm, who they play on Friday night.

The Sharks have fallen to eighth on the ladder, level on four points with the ninth-placed Warriors.

Earlier, Manly registered its third straight, beating the Knights 26-18 in Newcastle to rise to seventh.

The Knights are 12th with just one win from their opening five matches.

Bulls take lead in the South Africa conference

The Bulls have moved to the top of the South Africa Super Rugby conference with a comfortable bonus-point 32-17 victory over the Reds in Pretoria.

Flyhalf Handre Pollard bagged a brace of tries to go with scores for prop Lizo Gqoboka, and loose forwards Marco van Staden and Hanro Liebenberg, as the home side's forward muscle proved too powerful for the visiting Australians.

Earlier, centre Matias Orlando scored a hat-trick of tries as the Jaguares stunned the Sharks 51-17 in Durban, to build on their last-gasp win over the Bulls the previous week.

It was a first ever success in Durban and well deserved, as they stormed back into contention for top spot in the conference by overwhelming their hosts seven tries to two.

And the Brumbies scored five tries in Canberra to rebound from last week's heavy loss to the Crusaders and see off the Lions 31-20.

-Reuters

Hawks bounce back in the NBL

The Hawke's Bay Hawks have bounced back from their first up National Basketball League defeat to the Wellington Saints to beat the Super City Rangers 98-86.

Hawk’s Ethan Rusbatch. Taylor Hawks v Supercity Rangers, Sal's NBL, National Basketball League, PG Arena, Napier, New Zealand. Saturday, 13 April, 2019. Copyright photo: John Cowpland / www.photosport.nz

Photo: Photosport Ltd 2019 www.photosport.nz

Ethan Rusbatch led the Hawks with 34 points, while EJ Singler scored 26.

Venky Jois was the pick of the bunch for Rangers, finishing with 26 points and 14 boards.

The Hawks play the Huskies next Sunday (April 21) in the second round of NBL, while the Rangers go up against the Canterbury Rams in their first home game next Saturday (April 20).