8 Feb 2020

Today's sports news: What you need to know

10:02 pm on 8 February 2020

Latest - The Wellington Phoenix fell to a 4-2 defeat to Perth Glory last night in a result that saw them lose ground on their top four rivals.

Phoenix's Tim Payne makes a pass during the A-League.

Phoenix's Tim Payne makes a pass during the A-League. Photo: Photosport

The game was not without drama with the sending off of Tim Payne in the 71st minute for an accidental clip on a Glory player.

Two quick-fire goals from Gary Hooper off the bench were not enough to salvage a point for the 10-man Phoenix.

The Phoenix now sit fifth on the A-League ladder.

The Phoenix will now be without Payne for next week's crucial clash with second-place Melbourne City.

New Zealand men snare first-up hockey Pro League win

The Black Sticks men have won their first-ever hockey Pro League match with a 3-1 shootout victory over Great Britain in Auckland on Saturday.

Stephen Jenness

Stephen Jenness Photo: Photosport

Stephen Jenness gave the New Zealanders a 1-0 lead in the third quarter when he scored from a turnover deep in the Great Britain half.

With less than five minutes remaining, Christopher Griffiths chipped the ball over Black Sticks goalkeeper Richard Joyce to level the scores.

The match then went to a penalty shootout, and the New Zealanders held their nerve to secure a 3-1 victory.

In the later game at North Harbour Hockey Stadium, the Black Sticks women were outplayed 3-0 by their British counterparts.

Tessa Howard's ninth-minute goal, and Charlotte Watson's 21st-minute penalty stroke gave Great Britain a 2-0 lead at halftime. Shona McCallin wrapped up the match with her third-quarter strike.

Both New Zealand teams play Great Britain again on Sunday at the same venue.

Folau left out of Dragons squad for Wakefield match

Israel Folau will have to wait for his Catalan Dragons debut after the Perpignan-based rugby league club left him out of their 21-man squad for Sunday's game at Wakefield.

"New signing Israel Folau hasn't been named in the squad," the Dragons said on their website on Friday without giving a reason.

Folau's move to France has created ructions in the Super League.

The former rugby union international had his contract with Rugby Australia torn up in May for posting on social media that hell awaits "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers" and other groups, angering the LGBTIQ community.

The Super League on Wednesday accepted Folau had been legally registered with the Dragons, but took steps to ensure they can intervene in controversial signings in the future.

- Reuters

Bangladesh 233 all out in Rawalpindi

Pakistan left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi claimed 4-53 as the hosts bowled out Bangladesh for 233 in their first innings on day one of the opening test in Rawalpindi.

Bangladesh lost all five test matches in 2019 and went into bat on a green-tinged surface, where they got off to a terrible start.

The first 10 deliveries yielded only three runs and cost both their openers, including Saif Hassan who made a duck on his test debut.

Captain Mominul Haq (30) struggled against Pakistan's short-ball barrage but he and Najmul Hossain (44) somewhat arrested the slide.

With the tourists reeling on 107-5, Mohammad Mithun (63) helped take Bangladesh past the 200-mark.

- Reuters

Brawn says F1 will shut down loopholes from 2021

Formula One plans to change its governance structure to enable the sport to close quickly any loopholes in the 2021 technical regulations, making it harder for any one team to take a dominant position.

The sport is set to enter a new era next year, with sweeping rule changes aimed at making the track action more competitive and cheaper.

"We're pushing through governance where we can make changes much more on short notice than at the present time," motorsport managing director Ross Brawn told the official formula1.com website.

"If you exploit a loophole in the future, you can be shut down at the next race, which you could never do now."

At present, any rule change during a season has to be agreed unanimously by the 10 teams.

Motorsport.com said the proposed change would give the teams, governing FIA, and Formula One 10 votes each with immediate rule changes requiring a 'super majority' of 28 votes.

- Reuters