Today's sports news: What you need to know

The Highlanders will head into round one of the new Super Rugby Aotearoa season on a winning note.

Having trailed 12-5 at the break, the Southerners scored 30 unanswered points in the second half to claim a 35-12 over the Hurricanes in Alexandra on Friday night.

Returning flanker James Lentjes scored two tries for the Highlanders, with Shannon Frizell, Ngantungane Punivai and Connor Garden-Bachop also dotting down.

All Blacks duo Jordie Barrett and Ngani Laumape were the try-scorers for the visitors in the match played over four 20-minute quarters.

In Cambridge on Saturday, the Blues won both 40-minute matches in their Super Rugby Aotearoa pre-season hit-out.

Boosted by a Jonathan Ruru hat-trick, they edged the Crusaders 26-19, then disposed of the Chiefs 14-7. The Crusaders had earlier beaten the Chiefs 21 to 14.

Super Rugby Aotearoa begins next Friday.

Lopas and Donoghue power to sculls gold

Jack Lopas and Brooke Donoghue have both won double gold at the New Zealand rowing championships on Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel.

Lopas first took out the premier single sculls title, edging second-placed John Storey by just over half a second with Chris Harris third.

Two-time defending Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale - chasing his 10th national title - was a distant fourth, 10 seconds down on Lopas.

A former junior world champion, Lopas then combined with Tom Mackintosh to take the double sculls title in 6min 28.70sec, over a second clear of Matthew Dunham and Jordan Parry.

In the women's singles sculls, Donoghue pipped Emma Twigg by .19sec, with Jackie Kiddle third.

Twigg, also chasing her 10th national title in the event, had earlier beaten Donoghue in the heat.

Donoghue went on to pair with Hannah Osborne and collect the double sculls title, beating Georgie Nugent-O'Leary and Ruby Tew nearly seven seconds.

In the coxless pair, Hamish Bond and Tom Mackintosh won the men's title, with Emma Dyke and Grace Prendergast taking the women's event.

Auckland Hearts too strong for Blaze

Defending champions Auckland have eased up the leaderboard in the women's one-day cricket competition with a 110-run win over Wellington in the Capital on Saturday.

They now have six wins from eight games, and sit second behind Canterbury.

Wellington won the toss, but couldn't restrict the visitors' batters, who racked up 285-7 in their 50 overs, anchored by Lauren Down's 69 of 79 balls.

Wellington were bowled out for 175, opener Jess McFadyen's 75 the only innings of note. Anna Peterson's right-arm off break picked up 3-43 for the visitors.

Canterbury were equally comfortable in easing to a 78-run win over Central Districts in Rangiora, Kate Ebrahim's unbeaten 102 the mainstay in their 228-7 off 50 overs.

Central were bowled out for 150 in the 44th over, Jess Simmons fronting the bowling attack with 3-32 off 10 overs.

And Northern Districts extended Otago's winless run to eight matches with a 72-run win at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

Double tons take Aces to victory

Centuries to Sean Solia and Cole Briggs has led Auckland to victory over Central Districts in the resumption of the men's domestic one-day cricket competition.

Solia hit 121, while Briggs made 101 on first-class debut, the pair combining for a 226-run opening stand, as the hosts chased down their target of 310 for a six-wicket win at Eden Park Outer Oval on Friday.

Wellington survived some nervous late moments to hang on for a one-wicket win over Northern Districts in the capital.

Chasing just 206 to win, the Firebirds lost three late wickets before Fraser Colson hit the winning boundary to finish on 80 not out.

In Queenstown, Canterbury defended their total of 271 all out to beat Otago by 54 runs.

A composed 63 from Black Caps test opener Tom Latham led the visitors innings, before Otago faltered after knocks of 83 from Neil Broom and 69 to Anaru Kitchen had put them in the box seat.

Super Rugby AU underway

An early three-try blitz set the Queensland Reds on course for a record 41-7 win over New South Wales Waratahs in the Super Rugby AU season-opener in Brisbane after which holders ACT Brumbies ruined the homecoming of the Western Force in Perth.

Runners-up in last year's first edition of the Australian domestic competition, the Reds scored 27 points in the first half on a muggy night after Waratahs skipper Jake Gordon had opened the scoring in front of a modest crowd at Lang Park.

The Waratahs' hopes of fighting their way back into the match suffered a hammer blow just before halftime when centre Izaia Perese was shown a red card on debut for a tip tackle on Hunter Paisami.

Under law variations being used in the competition, the dismissal left the visitors short-handed for only 20 minutes before the Waratahs were allowed to replace the former Reds player.

Brumbies' Noah Lolesio, Irae Simone and Issak Fines all scored tries as the inaugural champions won 27-11 against the Force in front of a Covid-capacity crowd of 10,000 as Super Rugby returned to Perth for the first time since 2017.

Home hopes got an early boost when Ian Prior slotted over a penalty but Lolesio, who contributed 17 points, levelled matters before crossing the line for the first try as the Brumbies established their superiority and went 13-6 up at the break.

Two more tries in the second half had the Brumbies headed for a bonus point but this was denied them by a late consolation try for the Force, as Argentine international Tomas Cubelli darted over to the delight of the home supporters.

- Reuters

More sanctions for Russia

Russian athletes will compete under the acronym ROC at the Tokyo Olympics this year, as part of sanctions for several doping scandals, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said.

The full name of the Russian Olympic Committee could not be used and team flags would bear the logo of the committee, it said.

If the word Russian could not be removed from team uniforms, the term 'Neutral Athlete' must be added.

"All public displays of the organisation's participant name should use the acronym 'ROC', not the full name "Russian Olympic Committee", the IOC said in a statement.

The logo of the Russian Olympic Committee consists of three flames in the national Russian flag colours with the Olympic rings below them.

Russian athletes have been banned from competing under their national flag and anthem at the Tokyo Olympics as well as the Beijing winter Olympics in 2022 and world championships in all sports in 2021 and 2022 as part of sanctions issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

- Reuters

Cycling star calls for diversity

Giro d'Italia champion Tao Geoghegan Hart said cycling has a "problem" with diversity and that he will sponsor an under-23 rider to join his former team Hagens Berman Axeon to help address the issue.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider, who made the announcement on Instagram along with a photo of him taking a knee, said the chosen athlete would work with team owner Axel Merckx to race this summer.

"Cycling has a problem with diversity and inclusivity," said Geoghegan Hart. "It is not unique within sport, but we must face it head on all the same.

"I will be taking action with @hbaxeon by sponsoring an under-23 rider to race with the team this summer. I hope this can be the beginning of a joint effort to increase racial diversity within the amazing sport of Cycling."

The Briton said he was inspired by sports personalities Billie Jean King, Lewis Hamilton and Marcus Rashford, who have all campaigned for greater diversity, equality and social justice.

- Reuters