18 Oct 2021

Today's sports news: What you need to know

6:26 pm on 18 October 2021

Latest - Warriors winger David Fusitu'a has been granted an immediate release from his contract.

David Fusitua

David Fusitua Photo: Photosport

The Mate Ma'a Tonga international, who was signed with the NRL club until the end of the 2023 season, will continue his career in the English Super League.

"David has an opportunity to secure his future in the United Kingdom and wants the chance to make a fresh start," said Warriors recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan.

"He has had a difficult time in 2020 and 2021 but, at his best, he is one of the leading outside backs in the game. Going to the Super League gives him the chance to rediscover his form.

"As our longest-serving Warriors player he has made a huge contribution to the club. We thank him for his service and wish David and his family all the best for the future."

Fusitu'a, who made his NRL debut against St George Illawarra in 2014, leaves with a career total of 108 games in eight seasons with the Warriors.

Last year he became the 24th player to appear in 100 matches for the club but injury issues limited him to just five matches this season.

In 2018 he was named the Dally M winger of the year, scoring a total of 23 tries in 23 games.

With six tries in 28 matches since he has a tally of 61 tries, fifth on the club's all-time list.

Scotland and Oman score World Cup wins

Scotland have stunned Bangladesh after an all-round performance from Chris Greaves helped to secure a thrilling six-run victory in a preliminary round match of the Twenty20 World Cup in Muscat.

Scotland cricket captain Kyle Coetzer.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Scotland recovered from a precarious 53-6 after a horror start and went on to post a competitive 140-9 thanks largely to Greaves' belligerent 45.

Greaves then returned to claim 2-19 and help restrict Bangladesh to 134-7 in the see-saw contest.

Earlier in the first Group B match, co-hosts Oman thumped debutants Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets, chasing down a modest victory target with 6.2 overs to spare.

Oman skipper Zeeshan Maqsood led by example, claiming 4-20 to restrict Papua New Guinea to a below-par 129-9.

Omani openers Jatinder Singh (73) and Aqib Ilyas (50) killed off the contest smashing unbeaten fifties.

The top two teams from this group will make the Super 12 stage from Oct. 23 in the United Arab Emirates.

New Zealand's first game is against Pakistan on the 27th.

-Reuters

Wins for Spurs and Hammers

Harry Kane scored his first Premier League goal of the season as Tottenham Hotspur overcame Newcastle United 3-2 at St James' Park to prolong the hosts' winless run in a match that was briefly halted after a fan collapsed in the crowd.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Harry Kane.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Newcastle, spurred on by a buoyant atmosphere in their first game since being taken over by a Saudi Arabia-led consortium, flew out of the traps and went ahead after just 108 seconds, but the bright start soon fizzled out as Spurs hit back in the 17th minute and Kane gave Spurs the lead five minutes later.

Play was suspended for nearly 25 minutes just before halftime after a fan collapsed in the East Stand of the ground. Newcastle said that the supporter's condition had been stabilised and they were on their way to hospital.

Son Heung-min added a third from close range in first-half stoppage time before Newcastle were reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute. An own-goal from Eric Dier set up a tense finish but Spurs held on.

Spurs moved up to fifth in the standings with 15 points from eight games. Newcastle are second from bottom with three points.

Angelo Ogbonna's late header earned West Ham United a 1-0 win at Everton and lifted them to seventh.

Everton are eighth on the table.

-Reuters

Devine smashes Perth to victory

White Ferns captain Sophie Devine has helped her Perth Scorchers to a super over victory over Brisbane in their opening game of the Big Bash T20 tournament.

Sophie Devine playing for the Perth Scorchers.

Sophie Devine playing for the Perth Scorchers. Photo: Photosport

Devine hit two super over sixes as Perth secure a come from behind victory in Hobart.

Chasing 138 for the win, Brisbane needed 51 from 62 balls with nine wickets in hand before finishing on the same score as Perth.

Devine also took a wicket in the Heat innings.

The majority of the games are being played in Tasmania, with the matches over the weekend played in empty stadia.

WRC title goes down to the wire

Thierry Neuville won the Rally of Spain for Hyundai as the title battle between Toyota team mates Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans was sent down to the final round in Italy next month.

Thierry Neuville in the Rally of Australia

Thierry Neuville in the Rally of Australia Photo: Photosport

Evans finished second to cut Ogier's lead to 17 points, with a maximum 30 remaining to be won, as the Frenchman ended up fourth and behind Hyundai's Dani Sordo.

Ogier is chasing his eighth championship in nine years and the last before he retires from full-time rallying.

Welshman Evans is the only driver who can deny him the crown.

Neuville's dominant 24.1-second win on the asphalt roads around the resort of Salou, south of Barcelona, was the Belgian's second of the season.

Toyota lead Hyundai in the manufacturers' standings by 47 points.

-Reuters

Record for speed golf

Professionals usually take 10 to 15 minutes to complete a hole on a golf course but four European Tour players teamed up to break the Guinness World Record by achieving the feat in less than half a minute.

Sean Crocker, Nicolai Hojgaard, Min Woo Lee and Wilco Nienaber took up the challenge to break the record of 27.88 seconds set by an American team in 2018.

The hole chosen was the fourth at Valderrama Golf Club in Spain which is 501 yards long.

After several failed attempts over more than two hours and many howls of frustration, Nienaber launched a 361-yard drive on to the fairway where Crocker waited for the ball to come to a stop.

His 140-yard approach shot landed within four feet of the hole and Lee sank the putt as Hojgaard lifted the flag.

The quartet had a nervous wait as the judges reviewed the footage and when the official time was announced -- 24.75 seconds -- it sparked wild celebrations.

-Reuters

Race record for Rotich in Paris

Kenya's Elisha Rotich won the men's race and Ethiopia's Tigist Memuye topped the women's podium at the Paris Marathon.

Rotich set a course record as he crossed the line in two hours four minutes 21 seconds to finish ahead of Ethiopia's Hailemaryam Kiros.

The 31-year-old Kenyan took nearly a minute off his personal best and broke Kenenisa Bekele's seven-year course record of 2:05:04 as he picked up pace after the 25-kilometre mark.

Kenya's Hillary Kipsambu came third after slipping two spots in the final stages of the race.

In the women's race, Memuye ran a time of two hours 26 minutes and 12 seconds after a late surge to seal the biggest win of her career.

Memuye finished about three seconds ahead of Yenenesh Dinkesa with Fantu Jimma third as Ethiopians swept the podium.

The Paris Marathon, featuring 60,000 participants from 145 countries, was initially scheduled for April this year, but was delayed by six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The race was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

-Reuters