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Prolific try-scoring winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has signed on with the NZ Warriors for a two year extension. Coming off the two most productive campaigns of his 11-season NRL career, the seasoned 29-year-old international will be with the club until the end of 2027. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps chase win and history in India Team New Zealand lock up America's Cup NZ Breakers hold off Wildcats in return home Auckland FC debut in A-League with victory Back-nine charge for Fox; HIillier stays solid “There’s no doubt the move to the Warriors in 2021 has been of tremendous benefit to Dallin’s game,” said New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and development Andrew McFadden. “He had the best season of his career in 2023 and maintained his level this year by again finishing as the club’s top try scorer. “He thrives on being at the Warriors and living in Auckland, matching his enthusiasm and energy on the field with the same sort of passion off it.” Watene-Zelezniak was named in both the Dally M Team of the Year and the Players’ Dream Team in 2023 after scoring a club record 24 tries in 20 games and following it up with 15 tries in 22 appearances this year. “As well as his freakish ability to score seemingly unlikely tries, what we all love about Dallin is the way he returns the ball,” said One New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster. “He’s so fierce and fearless. I wouldn’t like to tackle him ... he just gives us so much energy, inspiration and momentum. “He has been unreal for us over the last two seasons, taking his game to a level well beyond where he was before and he can still be even better.” Watene-Zelezniak finished 2024 by achieving two major career milestones while scoring a hat-trick in the One New Zealand Warriors’ stunning 30-28 season-ending comeback win over the Cronulla Sharks. Going into the match sitting on 49 tries for the club and 98 for his career, the first try made him the 10th player to score 50 tries for the Warriors and his second the 83rd in history (the sixth New Zealander and third Warrior) to reach the 100-try mark in the NRL. He capped his treble with the match-winner from the last play of the game. Watene-Zelezniak’s 50 tries for the Warriors has come in just 69 games, the fastest in the club’s history topping David Fusitu’a who took 77 matches to reach the mark. Joining the One New Zealand Warriors midway through the 2021 season, Watene-Zelezniak also made his 200th career appearance during the 2024 campaign.

Bryony Botha continued New Zealand’s medal success with a bronze in the individual pursuit on the penultimate day of competition at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Denmark. The 26-year-old from Auckland overcame Germany’s Franziska Brausse in the ride-off for third in the 3000m individual pursuit, adding to the silver medal she won in Paris in 2022 and bronze last year in Glasgow in the same event. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps chase win and history in India Team New Zealand lock up America's Cup NZ Breakers hold off Wildcats in return home Auckland FC debut in A-League with victory Back-nine charge for Fox; HIillier stays solid Botha qualified third fastest in 3:19.446 in her first ride in the championships, going through the midway point as the fastest rider before American Chloe Dygert stepped up the pace to set a new world record of 3:15.663 to lead qualifiers at the Ballerup Arena. The German started strongly to lead through the first three laps in the bronze medal ride, before Botha’s powered into the lead. She went through the 1000m in 1:11.281 and extended her lead each lap, finishing in 3:21.086, to be over three seconds clear. Her bronze medal adds to the silver medal in the same event at the world championships in Paris in 2022 and the bronze medal in Glasgow last year, along with two world championship medals in the team pursuit. Dygert was upset in the final by British newcomer Anna Morris, who edged ahead five laps from the finish to claim the gold medal by just 0.3s. Tomorrow Wollaston completes her busy campaign, chasing further success in the individual points race. Results: Women’s Individual Pursuit qualifying, 3000m: Chloe Dygert (USA) 3:15.663, 1 (World Record); Anna Morris (GBR) 3:17.656, 2; Bryony Botha (NZL) 3:19.446, 3; Franziska Brausse (GER) 3:21.951, 4. Final: Morris 3:16.560, 1; Dygert 3:16.877, 2. Bronze ride: Botha 3:21.086, 3; Brausse 3:24.620, 4.

The Black Caps are chasing just 107 on the final day to beat India in the first cricket Test in Bengaluru. The visitors bowled India out for 462 on day four before bad light stopped play four balls into the chase despite the pleas of the India fielders to carry on. LATEST HEADLINES: Team New Zealand lock up America's Cup NZ Breakers hold off Wildcats in return home Auckland FC debut in A-League with victory Back-nine charge for Fox; HIillier stays solid Ally Wollaston claims a second gold medal The Black Caps bowlers took wickets late on day four with Matt Henry taking three for 102 and Will O'Rourke three for 92. The seam bowling pair took 15 of the 20 Indian wickets to fall in the test. Tom Latham and Devon Conway were both yet to score in New Zealand's second innings when bad light stopped play. The Black Caps have won only two tests in India, the last being in 1988 with John Wright the captain and the previous time in 1969. Sarfaraz Khan made 150 and Rishabh Pant 99 for India as they look to pull off one of the most famous victories in cricket after being dismissed for just 46 in their first innings. They took India into the lead with just three second-innings wickets down but the hosts lost 7-54 with the second new ball to set New Zealand 107 to win. After the first day was washed out, India's first innings 46 on day two was the third-lowest total in their Test history and lowest at home.

Auckland FC have started their time in the A-League with a win, although their first goal scorer might be a future quiz question. The first-year club defeated the Brisbane Roar 2-0 on a sunny Saturday night at Auckland's Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in front of nearly 25,000 fans. LATEST HEADLINES: Fox back nine birdies, HIillier stays solid Ally Wollaston claims second gold medal White Ferns hold nerve into T20WC final Team NZ take America's Cup to match point Ravindra, Southee guide Black Caps to big lead AFC got off to a great start with Japanese icon and club captain Hiroki Sakai drilling a dangerous ball across the box which was flicked into his own net by defender Harry Van Der Saag - the club's first scorer, from the Brisbane Roar. All Whites international Logan Rogerson then became the teams first goal scorer after linking on to a Francis De Vries at the far post in the 75th minute. Any attacking chances for the Roar were few and far between and Alex Paulsen wasn't troubled in goal. Overall, Steve Corica's side was solid across the field showing little weakness in their opening A-League encounter, albeit against a side expected to be near the bottom of the points ladder. Round two of the competition will see Auckland FC hosting Sydney FC at Mt Smart next Sunday. Auckland FC 2 (Harry Van Der Saag (OG), Logan Rogerson) Brisbane Roar 0 . HT: 1-0

Team New Zealand have become the first modern-era team to win three straight America's Cup regattas. Peter Burling, Nathan Outerridge and Co finished the job with another comfortable victory in Race 9 in light winds in Barcelona on Saturday (Sunday NZ Time), taking an unassailable 7-2 advantage in the best-of-13 Finals Match. LATEST HEADLINES: NZ Breakers hold off Wildcats in return home Auckland FC debut in A-League with victory Back-nine charge for Fox; HIillier stays solid Ally Wollaston claims a second gold medal White Ferns hold nerve into WT20 WC final “What an amazing feeling,” TNZ starboard helmsman Burling said. “It’s been a tough battle all week, but an amazing scoreline and I’m really proud of the way the team just kept battling today.” It was a result reflective of just how strong the Kiwis have been sailing in their second defence of the Auld Mug. The British punished them for a couple of errors in high seas on Wednesday (Thursday NZT), but otherwise TNZ sailed a clean regatta, picking the wind shifts and getting the better of their counterparts. “A huge well done to Team New Zealand,” Britannia starboard helmsman Ben Ainslie said. “What an amazing campaign and team. In my view, I think they’re the best team ever in the America’s Cup. It’s quite some achievement so well done to them.” Day six of racing was delayed by 40 minutes as light winds threatened to drag proceedings into the late afternoon, before the wind limit was reached. The British won pre-start and forced TNZ to tack away to the right side of the course at the starting line. But TNZ found some breeze and sailed ahead, going across Britannia's bow at the first cross. TNZ led by 19 seconds at the first gate, and it seemed like only a big mistake would prevent them from locking away the America's Cup. They made a minor one, allowing Britannia to prosper on the right side to get back into the contest. The race was a dead heat around the third mark, but TNZ got the pick of the shifts as the two split the course early on the second downwind leg and put some breathing room between the two boats. From there, they kicked on to close out a 37-second win. 37TH AMERICA'S CUP MATCH RESULTS Race 1: Team New Zealand beat Britannia by 41 seconds Race 2: Team New Zealand beat Britannia by 27 seconds Race 3: Team New Zealand beat Britannia by 52 seconds Race 4: Team New Zealand beat Britannia by 23 seconds Race 5: Britannia beat Team New Zealand by 1 minute 18 seconds Race 6: Britannia beat Team New Zealand by 7 seconds Race 7: Team New Zealand beat Britannia by 1 minute 13 seconds Race 8: Team New Zealand beat Britannia by 55 seconds Race 9: Team New Zealand beat Britannia by 37 seconds Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia 7-2 in the best-of-13 series

The NZ Breakers have returned home and to winning form with an 89-85 victory over the Perth Wildcats in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL). American guard Matt Mooney was in electrifying form, scoring a game-high 28 points (8/14 FG, 7/10 3pt, 5/5 FT) on 57 percent from the field in front of a vocal home crowd at Auckland's Spark Arena on Saturday night. LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland FC debut in A-League with victory Back-nine charge for Fox; HIillier stays solid Ally Wollaston claims a second gold medal White Ferns hold nerve into WT20 WC final Team NZ take America's Cup to match point Mooney's ability to knock down shots from deep was key, as he hit seven three-pointers from 10 attempts. His offensive explosion was especially vital during the Wildcats’ third-quarter surge, where Perth threatened to claw back the hosts’ lead. Complementing Mooney’s effort was forward Max Darling, whose efficient performance gave the Breakers an important presence inside. Darling finished with 15 points (5/7 FG, 4/6 3pt) on 71 percent shooting, and his contributions in the paint - four rebounds and two blocks - provided a necessary counterbalance to the Wildcats’ size. Darling’s offensive impact was felt early, converting 4-of-6 triples to help stretch the Wildcats’ defence. His ability to finish around the rim also forced Perth to collapse on him, opening up space for shooters like Mooney to operate on the perimeter. Point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright had an off-shooting night but again led the offence well, finishing with 13 points (5/21 FG, 1/8 3pt), nine assists, five steals and a block, while Mojave King had 10 points (4/7 FG) off the bench. The Breakers now prepare to take the court on Thursday night when they host South East Melbourne Phoenix at Christchurch's Wolfbrook Arena. After Bryce Cotton left the court injured early in the contest, former Breakers guard Tai Webster and Kristian Doolittle stepped up to lead the charge for Perth, with Webster scoring 20 points and Doolittle posting a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The game was tense as Perth closed the gap to just four points late in the third quarter. In the final minutes, it was the Breakers’ defence that came up clutch. Freddie Gillespie, who had a strong game off the bench, pulled down eight rebounds and made two key blocks in the final quarter, helping stifle the Wildcats’ offence. Breakers head coach Petteri Koponen said it was a great feeling to come away with the result in front of a large home crowd. “It was a good game from us. It was nice being back at home in front of our fans. A big thank you to our fans - they gave us an extra push when we needed that,” Koponen said. “As well, a shoutout to our bigs tonight. We had a big conversation after our last game that we needed to screen and make contact to get our shooters open and I thought they did a great job of that tonight. “We will just enjoy this great win and then go from there and get better. Like I’ve said from the beginning it’s a great group of guys who every day come with the right attitude to the gym.”

A dramatic back-nine looks to have saved Ryan Fox from the cut at the PGA Tour tournament in Las Vegas. Fox carded a two-under 69 in the second round at the Shriner’s Childrens Open at TPC Summerlin on Friday (Saturday NZ Time) to be just above the projected cut-line. LATEST HEADLINES: Ally Wollaston claims second gold medal White Ferns hold nerve into T20WC final Team NZ take America's Cup to match point Ravindra, Southee guide Black Caps to big lead Lydia Ko in top-five at LPGA Tour event in Korea The 37-year-old bogeyed the first three holes to be three-over, before a birdie on the sixth hole. With the projected cut at two-under, Fox was not looking good at the turn. He birdied the 10th, then the 13th and 15th holes, before an eagle three on the par-five 16th to get to four-under. Fox bogeyed the 17th before a par on the final hole to finish at three-under, tied 49th and seven strokes off the lead of Canadian Taylor Pendrith. The bulk of the field has not finished their second rounds as darkness preventing further play, with the chance the cut-line could move. On the DP World Tour, Daniel Hillier sits in a tie for 10th after two rounds of the Andalucia Masters in Spain. Hillier is tied for 11th at seven-under, eight shots off the lead after a round which six birdies, a bogey and double-bogey.

New Zealand cycling star Ally Wollaston earned her second rainbow jersey after a brilliant victory in the four-discipline omnium at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Denmark today. The 23-year-old has become the first New Zealander rider to win two world championship titles at the same track world championships, after following her win in the elimination yesterday with the omnium triumph at the Ballerup Sports Arena in Copenhagen today. LATEST HEADLINES: White Ferns hold nerve into T20WC final Team NZ take America's Cup to match point Ravindra, Southee guide Black Caps to big lead Lydia Ko in top-five at LPGA Tour event in Korea Black Ferns draw Ireland in Women's RWC pool Wollaston was in fine form in the omnium, starting watchfully with ninth place in the 7.5km scratch race, before topping the tempo race, winning 10 of the 26 sprints and gaining a lap on the field. The Waikato professional, who won the individual elimination world title yesterday, repeated that in the omnium elimination where she again showed superior speed and nous to dominate, and claim a narrow lead in the overall competition. Wollaston stayed calm as the attacks came in the pivotal 20km Points race, with points awarded for sprints every 10 laps and 20 bonus points for lapping the field. Great Britain’s Jessica Roberts went solo to gain a lap and an eight-point lead but the kiwi rider stayed with her plan, scoring points on six of the eight sprints including winning the double-points final sprint. She impressed with her speed, strength and cycling intellect to finish on 131 points, 11 clear of Roberts with Norway’s Anita Stenberg third. “As I was yesterday, I am blown away and still a little bit lost for words,” said Wollaston. “I knew after yesterday that the form was there but to put it together on omnium day is a different story. “I am just really happy with today’s performance . When Jess (Roberts) went for the lap, I was questioning whether I had it in the final. But I had to try to stay calm and back my last sprint. “I started the day with not such a great scratch race but managed to back it up with a few good races after that.” Tomorrow Wollaston has a day off, with kiwi attentions turning to her Paris Olympic teammate Bryony Botha, who competes in the individual pursuit, where she is the Commonwealth Games gold medallist and has claimed silver and bronze medals in the last two world championships. Wollaston returns on the final day to contest the individual points race. She joins fellow kiwi riders Alison Shanks and Aaron Gate as double rainbow jersey winners on the track. The men’s sprint trio of Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins stand alone with three world championship titles, although Wollaston has the chance to join them with one event remaining on Monday (NZ time). Caption: Ally Wollaston in action and on the podium after her victory in the women’s omnium on day three of the UCI Track cycling World championships in Copenhagen. (Credit: SWPix

The Women's T20 World Cup will have a first-time winner after the White Ferns beat the West Indies by eight runs to join South Africa in Monday mornings final in Dubai. New Zealand made 128 for 9 on a sluggish pitch in Sharjah with opening Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer making 26 and 33 respectively. LATEST HEADLINES: Team NZ take America's Cup to match point Ravindra, Southee guide Black Caps to big lead Lydia Ko in top-five at LPGA Tour event in Korea Black Ferns draw Ireland in Women's RWC pool Ally Wollaston wins world title in elimination race Izzy Gaze was next best with 20 with Brooke Halliday made 18. Deandra Dottin was the best of the West Indies bowlers with 4-22. In reply the West Indies slipped to 63-5 before Dottin starred with 33 from 22 balls, with three sixes off a Lea Tahuhu over rejuvenating the chase. But Melie Kerr struck the crucial blow in the 17th over to have Dottin caught at short fine leg which all-but sealed the White Ferns' victory. The experienced Suzie Bates was tasked with defending 14 off the final over, having not bowled all tournament, but held her nerve as West Indies finished on 120-8. Kerr finished with 2-14 and Eden Carson 3-29, although a number of dropped catches in the field will be of concern leading up to the final.

Team New Zealand has moved within one victory of retaining the America's Cup. Team NZ moved the 37th America's Cup Match to match point, rebounding from back-to-back defeats with two dominant victories in on a breezy day five on Friday (Saturday NZ Time) off Barcelona, taking a 6-2 lead in the first-to-seven final. LATEST HEADLINES: Ravindra, Southee guide Black Caps to big lead Lydia Ko in top-five at LPGA Tour event in Korea Black Ferns draw Ireland in Women's RWC pool Ally Wollaston wins world title in elimination race Weary NZ Breakers handed first loss of season In Race 7, Britannia got the better off the start-line with a narrow lead. However, TNZ found better wind on the right side of the course and tacked in front of the English boat on the first cross, forcing them back to the left. TNZ's lead grew to more than 200m on the first leg but Britannia made some gains late to trail by 12 seconds at the first mark. Britannia remained well back on the first down-wind leg, trailing by 13 seconds at the gate, before TNZ made more gains up-wind, stretching out by more than 350m at one point and extending the gap to 24 seconds at the halfway stage. Unlike Day 4, TNZ made no mistakes, leading by 29 seconds at mark four, moving clear by more than 750m on the final up-wind leg, ahead 53 seconds at the final mark and 1 minute 13 seconds at the finish. Both crews timed their starts to perfection in Race 8, with TNZ carrying a little more speed and quickly pushing out by more than 100m on the left side of the course. Peter Burling and Co led by 15 seconds around the first mark, 25 seconds at mark two, 41 seconds after the third leg and 36 seconds at halfway. Britannia, helmed by Ben Ainslie, made further inroads on the fifth leg, cutting TNZ's lead to 23 seconds, which held at 27 seconds at the next marker, along the distance gap was still 500m-plus. However, TNZ turned it on for the last up-wind leg, picking the wind shift and almost doubling the gap to 50 seconds before stretching out by more than 1000m on the run to the finish. "Really nice to bounce back from a few mistakes the other day and put a couple of solid races on the board," said Burling. "Completely different conditions to anything we've raced in so far. It was awesome. "We were loving it. It was bit like a south-wester off Takapuna. Super shifty, had to use the boats a lot. The power team behind me, both sides, put in a huge stint both races to give us heaps and send us around the course. Races 9 and 10 are scheduled for Saturday (Sunday NZ Time), with Races 11 and 12, if necessary, on Sunday (Monday NZT) and a potential, but increasingly unlikely, decider on Monday (Tuesday NZT).

The Black Caps will take a 125-run lead into day four of the first test against India in Bengaluru. Rachin Ravindra reached his second test century and Tim Southee his seventh test half-century on Friday at M Chinnaswamy Stadium as New Zealand posted 402 in their first innings, an overall lead of 356 runs. LATEST HEADLINES: Lydia Ko in top-five at LPGA Tour event in Korea Black Ferns draw Ireland in Women's RWC pool Ally Wollaston wins world title in elimination race Weary NZ Breakers handed first loss of season Silver Fern Elle Temu recommits to NSW Swifts After scoring just 46 in their first innings, India had a much better approach in the second dig, reaching 231-3 at stumps on day three, with half-centuries from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan. Resuming at 180-3, Ravindra carried his bat for the rest of the innings, hitting 13 fours and four sixes in his 157-ball innings of 134. After a mini-collapse, which saw Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Phillips and Matt Henry depart in the span of eight overs, Ravindra and Southee came together to tack on 137 runs for the eighth wicket. Southee, who stood down from the captaincy after the Sri Lanka series earlier this month, belted five fours and four sixes in his 73-ball 65. He passed Kohli for sixth on the all-time test cricket most sixes list, with 92. Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (35 from 52) and captain Sharma (52 from 63) made an opening stand of 72, before both were dismissed by left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel in quick succession. Kohli (70 from 102) and Khan (70 not out from 78) pushed the total along rapidly, adding 136 runs for the third wicket before part-timer Glenn Phillips, New Zealand's second spin option, made the crucial breakthrough with the final ball of the day. Patel has figures of 2-70 from 12 overs and Phillips 1-36 from eight, while Henry and Will O'Rourke, who took nine wickets in the first innings, combined for 0-100 in 22 overs.

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko's climbed back up the leaderboard late in her second round at the latest LGPA Tour event in South Korea The 27-year-old was a winner of the tournament in 2022 and is up to a share of third with five holes to play after rain halted play. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Ferns draw Ireland in RWC pool Wollaston claims elimination race gold Weary Breakers handed first loss of season Milestone for Henry as Black Caps dominate Silver Fern Temu recommits to NSW Swifts Ko's three under par, eight under the card and four shots off the leader. She yet to hit a bogey in either her first or second round. She birdied at the fourth, sixth and 13 holes in her day two round. On day one she had birdies at the fourth, eighth, 11th, 15th and 17th holes. The lead current stands with Australian Hannah Green at 12-under followed by South African Ashleigh Buhai at 10-under. Ko is next alongside Denmark's Nanna Koerstz-Marsden as well as Korean's Hye-Jin Choin and Jenny Shin.