Latest - The All Whites will play two football internationals against Oman and Bahrain next month.
Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2019 www.photosport.nz
The Danny Hay-coached New Zealand squad will travel to the Middle East for the second tour of his reign, following on from matches losses away to Ireland and Lithuania last November.
The All Whites will firstly meet Oman on March 26, before facing Bahrain four days later with the venues yet to be confirmed.
The matches form part of the All Whites' build-up to the start of Oceania qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in September, with New Zealand set to play in all three international windows (September, October and November).
Meanwhile the Football Ferns participation in the next month's Algarve Cup in Portugal has also been confirmed.
The New Zealand women's team will be joined at the tournament by hosts Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway and Sweden.
The Football Ferns will later compete in the Olympic Games alongside the Oly Whites and more preparation matches are anticipated in their build-up towards this pinnacle event.
Spurs stun City
Steven Bergwijn made an instant impact on his Tottenham Hotspur debut with a stunning opener in his side's 2-0 win over champions Manchester City in an incident-packed English Premier League game in London.
The Dutch midfielder, signed this week from PSV Eindhoven, swept home a right-foot volley three minutes after City had been reduced to 10 men when Oleksandr Zinchenko was shown a second yellow card on the hour.
With City stretched Son Heung-min added a second in the 71st minute with a deflected effort, allowing Spurs manager Jose Mourinho to get the better of his old adversary Pep Guardiola for only the sixth time in 23 clashes.
City remain 22 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool and only had themselves to blame for a sixth defeat of the season as they wasted several gilt-edged chances and missed yet another penalty when Hugo Lloris saved Ilkay Gundogan's spot kick.
While City's pursuit of Liverpool has long run out of steam, a second successive league win revived Tottenham's push for a top-four finish. They moved up to fifth in the table, four points behind London rivals Chelsea.
Burnley and Arsenal drew 0-0 at Burnley.
The result left both sides on 31 points with Arsenal in 10th place, ahead of Burnley on goal difference.
-Reuters
Another title for Black Ferns Sevens
Latest - The Black Ferns Sevens claimed their four consecutive World Series title with a 33-7 win over Canada in the final of the Sydney round.
Sarah Hirini Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The All Blacks Sevens finished fifth with a 24-7 victory over Australia, unable to play off for silverware after losing to Fiji in pool play yesterday.
In a repeat of last week's semifinal, it was the Stacey Fluhler show against France, the speedster ran in four tries in the 24-7 victory.
Tyla Nathan-Wong knocked over two conversions to secure her place in the record books as the second woman, and first kiwi, to score 1000 points in the women's World Series.
Co-coach Cory Sweeney said it was a massive achievement for the team to back up after their win in Hamilton last weekend.
"We were probably a bit emotional depleted after a big week in Hamilton so it was important to recover and I thought we grew through the tournament.
"At times we were really challenged and had to dig deep to get through some of those games and then to get to the Final and have a performance like that - it's incredibly pleasing."
The New Zealand women have a 16 point lead over Australia in the women's standings, while the men lead South Africa by nine.
France win Six Nations opener
A rejuvenated France held off England to start their Six Nations with a bang in a 24-17 victory at the Stade de France and give new coach Fabien Galthie a confidence-boosting debut.
A year after squandering a 16-0 halftime lead in a 24-19 loss to Wales in Paris, Les Bleus, who were 17-0 up at the interval, held firm to prevent another embarrassing second-half collapse as England sprung into life around the hour.
France captain Charles Ollivon led by example with two tries, one of them debatable, and Vincent Rattez also went over, with the other points coming from Romain Ntamack's boot.
England threatened a comeback after falling 24-0 behind, with two Jonny May tries converted by Owen Farrell who also slotted a penalty, but it was too late for the World Cup runners-up in their first game since their final defeat by South Africa in Japan.
- Reuters
Castleford ruin Toronto and SBW's big day
Sonny Bill Williams' eagerly-awaited return to rugby league proved to be something of an anti-climax as Toronto Wolfpack suffered a 28-10 defeat to Castleford in their first-ever Super League match at Headingley.
Sonny Bill Williams Photo: Photosport
The former All Black ended his six-year absence from the 13-man code when he was introduced from the bench 26 minutes into his new club's opening match of the season.
Williams knocked on with his first touch and repeated the error shortly afterwards in a clumsy re-introduction into the sport.
It was a home game for Toronto, who are not due to stage fixtures in Canada until April.
Down to just 18 available players, with fullback Gareth O'Brien among the absentees from coach Brian McDermott's 23-man squad, the Wolfpack could face a long and difficult battle to avoid an immediate return to the Championship on the evidence of their opening showing.
Fox 27th in European PGA tournament
New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox finished tied for 27th at the Latest European PGA tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Fox was 10 shots behind the winner Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland.
McDowell won his first European Tour title since 2014 with a two-shot victory over American defending champion Dustin Johnson.
Aces qualify on back of Raval milestone
Not only did Jeet Raval celebrate his 50th List A match with the third century of his Ford Trophy career, the opening batsman's superb knock ensured his Auckland Aces became the first side to qualify for this season's national one-day playoffs.
Jeet Raval Photo: Photosport
Just one more win from the remaining two rounds will also lock in a home Grand Final for the competition frontrunners after the Aces extended their lead with a four-wicket win over Raval's old side the Central Stags at Pukekura Park.
Northern Districts' clash with the Volts in Dunedin was meanwhile rained off, the two teams picking up just two points each for the washout, but still capable of fighting their way into the top three from a mid-table logjam.
Raval's 118 off 120 balls was the second-highest List A score of his nine-year career, sitting behind his 149 for the Aces against Canterbury at Colin Maiden Park in 2017/18 and eclipsing the maiden 115 he scored alongside Jamie How for the Stags in The Ford Trophy all-time record opening partnership at Seddon Park in 2012/13.
Arsenal and Burnley in EPL stalemate
Arsenal were held to a goalless draw at Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday but Mikel Arteta's side can count themselves lucky to leave with a point.
Mikel Arteta. Photo: All Rights Reserved
Jay Rodriguez and Jeff Hendrick missed golden chances for Burney to win a match they dominated for large stretches.
Arsenal started brightly and the returning Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have put them in front when he got round the back of Burnley to collect a through ball from David Luiz but sent his shot wide.
The Clarets looked the more determined, however, and with Dwight McNeil causing trouble down the left flank, they caused Arsenal plenty of problems after the break.
Hendrick headed wide a McNeil cross from a great position and Rodriguez blasted against the underside of the bar from close range after more good work from the Burnley winger.
The result left both sides on 31 points with Arsenal in 10th place, ahead of Burnley on goal difference. The Gunners have won one of their seven league matches since Arteta took charge following the dismissal of Unai Emery.
