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The Waikato-BOP Magic produced their most complete performance of the season to upset leaders the Central Pulse 58-41 in Tauranga on Saturday. Delivering the third win of their campaign helped the Magic close the gap on the front-runners in a season-defining match while rising to the occasion after showing threatening form in previous weeks. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Ferns are back, thrash Wallaroos Auckland Tuatara pull away from Giants Fox, Jones in top-10 on PGA, DP World Tours Phoenix players score goals in All-Stars victory Hurricanes hold off Chiefs with a late penalty For the first time, the Magic produced a 60-minute performance, leading through all four quarters while leaving a disjointed Pulse unable to respond. And for the first time, the Pulse showed a vulnerability. Unbeaten going into the match, but missing several frontline players, the Pulse’s injury woes were all too evident against a rampant Magic, who dominated across all thirds of the court. The Magic welcomed captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio back to the playing line-up after missing last week with illness, and her influence was all-too evident. There were further reshuffles for an injury depleted Pulse with Fa’amu Ioane moving into centre and Australian import Kelea Iongi getting her first start for the season, at wing defence. Impressive in her debut last week, shooter Martina Salmon retained her place at goal shoot. Recovering from an early three-goal deficit, Magic were all business in making the most of a Pulse team struggling to find their rhythm, the home side breaking free with an impressive opening. Ekenasio was back to her brilliant best to conduct the effort on attack while building momentum with her athletic shooting partner Saviour Tui. At the other end, the defensive efforts of Georgia Takarangi and Erena Mikaere made life difficult for the Pulse shooters as they smothered while picking off a run of intercepts. Staring down a seven-goal deficit, the Pulse pulled a couple back before the Magic headed into the first break with a 16-11 lead. Taking time to settle into their changes, the Pulse competed almost on level terms during the stanza, clawing back to within three at one stage but the Magic held their ground. The movement and timing between Ekenasio and Tui continued to be a feature while wing attack Claire O’Brien was also an impressive contributor. Pulse shooters Martina Salmon and Kiana Pelasio had more success in finding their groove under the hoop while Whitney Souness was a bundle of energy on attack. But with their noses in front, the Magic showed their growing impetus with their on-song shooting and the defensive end chiming in to keep the previously undefeated Pulse searching for answers. Denying the Pulse any traction, it was the Magic who stretched their advantage marginally to a 30-24 lead at the main break. The Magic continued to force the issue with a dominant showing through the third stanza, the Pulse forced into multiple turnovers in the face of a relentless onslaught. The combined defensive efforts of Georgie Edgecombe, Takarangi and Mikaere was instrumental in denying the Pulse any attacking momentum. At the other end, Ekenasio and Tui did their bit with a flurry of goals in extending the home side’s lead. Eight unanswered goals put the Magic in the box seat as they put the polish on a decisive third quarter where they restricted the Pulse to just five goals. Shuffling their shooting personnel did little to improve the Pulse’s fortunes with a 42-29 deficit at three-quarter time. In the run home, the Magic had the luxury of getting all 10 of their players on court while heralding a huge confidence-boosting win.

New Zealand and Jaguar drivers, Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy continue to dominate Formula E this season with a win and a podium finish at the Shanghai E-Prix Round 11. Evans started third and hit the front early, on Lap 7, working his way by polesitter Jean-Eric Vergne and Nissan's Oliver Rowland plus the Porsches of Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa, LATEST HEADLINES: Black Ferns are back, thrash Wallaroos Auckland Tuatara pull away from Giants Fox, Jones in top-10 on PGA, DP World Tours Phoenix players score goals in All-Stars victory Hurricanes hold off Chiefs with a late penalty At the halfway stage, Lap 16 - the Porsches, Wehrlein from da Costa, took back to the lead. However, on Lap 19, Evans had a percent of energy in-hand and managed to slice by da Costa through Sector 1, while the sister Jaguar TCS Racing of standings leader Nick Cassidy had two percent energy over the leaders ahead. Four laps later Cassidy had crept up to fourth, and had three percent energy on the lead trio of Wehrlein, Evans and da Costa. Reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) briefly fired himself into the lead quartet before the Jaguars' energy advantage made itself clear - Cassidy making it by da Costa for third as the laps ticked down. Wehrlein was two percent down on energy to the Jaguars and was forced into all the defensive manoeuvres in the book to hold the pair back. The decisive move for the lead did eventually come, with Evans breaking the German's resistance on the final lap after a failed move at the hairpin a lap prior. Evans ran all the way around the outside of Wehrlein to swoop into P1 and held fast to the flag, while the Porsche fended off the final turn advances of Cassidy - the championship leader settling for third, clipping his nose at the last and having to see off Oliver Rowland's late lunge for the podium. Da Costa came home fifth, Dennis sixth and Vergne only seventh from first on the grid. Race 12 is Sunday afternoon. Cassidy leads Wehrlein in the drivers' table by 13 points, with 155, with Rowland third on 130. Jaguar TCS Racing's advantage in the teams' championship is now 66 points.

The defending champion Canterbury Rams have continued their charge in the National Basketball League (NBL). The Rams rolled the Wellington Saints 107-84 in a top-four clash in the Capital on Saturday night, hours after the Southland Sharks ended their 11-game losing streak with a 99-81 home win over the Otago Nuggets. LATEST HEADLINES: Crusaders upset Blues to stay alive for playoffs City capture 12th OFC Champions League title Magic stun Pulse to shake up ANZ Premiership Mitch Evans wins race one at Shanghai e-Prix Black Ferns are back, thrashing the Wallaroos The Rams underlined their championship credentials with their eighth consecutive win as their three imports combined for 72 points, including eight threes, on 64 percent (27-of-42) shooting from the floor. Forward KJ Buffen put up 26 points (10/16 FG, 4/7 3pt), six rebounds and two steals, fellow American MJ Walker 24 points (8/14 FG, 3/4 3pt, 5/6 FT), four boards and two steals, and Australia centre Lachlan Olbrich 22 points (9/12 FG) and 10 rebounds. Former Tall Blacks guard Taylor Britt reached 1000 NBL points early in the game, on his way to 17 points (7/13 FG) and seven assists. Tall Blacks forward Tohi Smith-Milner and Australian guard Ben Ayre top-scored for the Saints. Smith-Milner had 21 points (8/11 FG, 3/6 3pt) and eight rebounds, and Ayre 21 points (6/17 FG, 2/8 3pt, 7/11 FT) and seven assists. Lat Mayen was the only other to score in double-figures, with 15 points (6/12 FG, 3/7 3pt) and four assists, while fellow import Malik Benlevi ended with nine points and seven boards. The Rams trailed just once, for all of 13 seconds in the first quarter. A 15-0 run in the second quarter pushed them out by 19 and the Saints only got as close as 15 the rest of the way, early in the third quarter. They outscored the Saints 29-18 in the second period. The Saints were hurt by the absence of Tall Blacks forward Hyrum Harris, who played only four minutes before exiting. In Week 10, the Rams (9-2) host the Bay Hawks (4-6) on Saturday (tip-off 4pm), while the Saints (7-3) head to Tauranga on Wednesday (tip-off 7.30pm) to face the Whai (4-7). The Sharks scored their first win since the final round of last season in the second game of the Deep South Derby against the Nuggets. Kiwi Brayden Inger scored a game-high 22 points (9/20 FG, 4/13 3pt), with 12 rebounds and five steals in his best performance of the season, while import Caleb Asberry and captain Alonzo Burton also had 20-plus points. Asberry had 21 points (8/13 FG, 4/5 FT), five boards and four assists, and Burton 20 points (7/14 FG, 3/7 3pt), five rebounds and two steals, while Kiwi big Callum McRae added 13 points (5/8 FG) and 10 boards, and import forward Marcale Lotts 12 points (6/7 FG) and six rebounds. Australia wing Ben Henshall, recently named in the Boomers training squad, led the Nuggets with 20 points (7/16 FG, 3/7 3pt) and seven boards. Kiwi guard Dontae Russo-Nance finished with 19 points (8/16 FG, 3/8 3pt), five rebounds, five assists and two steals, and import forward Kimani Lawrence 15 points (6/16 FG) and seven boards. Coming in having lost 11 straight to start the season, the game started like many others for the Sharks, trailing after the first quarter. Southland trailed for most of the first half, and into the third period before the game turned. From trailing by seven, the Sharks closed the quarter on a 20-9 run, with eight points from Burton, to lead by four. Then it was Inger Time. The former Tall Blacks forward scored 12 points in the fourth as the home side quickly built their lead to double-digits, then carried on, reaching as many as 24 points, outscoring the Nuggets 29-15 in the period. Next week, the Southland Sharks (1-11) will look to start a winning streak at home against the Franklin Bulls (7-3) next Sunday (tip-off 3pm), while the Nuggets (4-7) are away to the Taranaki Airs (8-3) on Friday (tip-off 7.30pm). Canterbury Rams 107 (KJ Buffen 26, MJ Walker 24, Lachlan Olbrich 22, Taylor Britt 17) Wellington Saints 84 (Tohi Smith-Milner 21, Ben Ayre 21, Lat Mayen 15). 1Q: 32-26, HT: 61-44, 3Q: 84-63 Southland Sharks 99 (Brayden Inger 22, Caleb Asberry 21, Alonzo Burton 20, Callum McRae 13, Marcale Lotts 12) Otago Nuggets 81 (Ben Henshall 20, Dontae Russo-Nance 19, Kimani Lawrence 15). 1Q: 18-26, HT: 44-47, 3Q: 70-66

The Crusaders inexplicably remain alive for the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs after springing the upset of the season. The defending champions' forwards dominated as they held off the front-running Blues 29-27 at Christchurch's Apollo Projects Stadium on Saturday night in the penultimate round of the regular season. LATEST HEADLINES: City capture 12th OFC Champions League title Magic stun Pulse to shake up ANZ Premiership Mitch Evans wins race one at Shanghai e-Prix Black Ferns are back, thrashing the Wallaroos Auckland Tuatara pull away from Nelson Giants Fox, Jones in top-10 on PGA, DP World Tours The victory lifted the Crusaders (3-0-10) level with the Western Force on 19 points, just two behind the Fijian Drua in the eighth and final postseason spot, and four points behind the seventh-placed Highlanders. Rob Penney's side will need to beat Moana Pasifika in their Round 15 clash and have other results go their way to earn an unlikely playoff berth with a record still well below .500. In a season of struggle, the 12-time champions produced a performance reminiscent of the past, securing their 13th win over the Blues in their last 14 meetings in the Garden City, and 32nd in 45 matches all-time. The Blues failed to go clear of the Hurricanes at the top of the standings, but the losing bonus point allowed them to reclaim the top spot on points difference. Harry Plummer gave the Blues an early lead with a penalty but the Crusaders responded with a try to All Blacks flanker Ethan Blackadder, who forced his way over with a run close to the line in the 20th minute. The Blues hit back and took the lead with a brace from newly-re-signed prop Ofa Tu'ungafasi. The first, in the 22nd minute, he dived over from the base of a rack, and the second, in the 35th minute, he took an Akira Ioane offload to score after Plummer broke through the Crusaders line. The Crusaders closed the gap in the shadow of halftime when hooker Codie Taylor took a penalty quick-tap and sent Chay Fihaki over in the right corner. The Blues lost Stephen Perofeta to a yellow card for a deliberate knock-down in the 46th minute but they extended their lead while a man-down with wing AJ Lam's first try. With Perofeta still off the field, No 8 Christian Lio-Willie got the Crusaders back in it, catching a Fergus Burke cross-field kick for an easy try. Later, halfback Noah Hotham finished off a Johnny McNicholl line-break to give the Crusaders the lead, then Fihaki extended it to seven with a 66th-minute penalty. Lam scored his second in the 72nd minute to close the gap but Plummer missed the conversion to tie it up, then later crucially missed touch from an attacking penalty to let the Crusaders off the hook. To conclude the SRP regular season, the Crusaders host Moana Pasifika on Friday night (kick-off 7.05pm), while the Blues host the Chiefs at Eden Park in an intriguing top-four clash the following night (kick-off 7.05pm). Crusaders 29 (Ethan Blackadder, Chay Fihaki, Christian Lio-Willie, Noah Hotham tries; Fergus Burke con, Chay Fihaki 2 con, pen) Blues 27 (Ofa Tu’ungafasi tries 2, AJ Lam 2 tries; Harry Plummer 2 con, pen). HT: 12-15

Two Wellington Phoenix players have scored in the A-League All-Stars thrashing of Premier League side Newcastle in Melbourne. The 8-0 thrashing by the All-Stars did not look good for Newcastle even after just five days since playing their final Premier League game. LATEST HEADLINES: Hurricanes hold off Chiefs with late penalty Dion Prewster rejoins NBL's Wellington Saints Prop Fonua-Blake stood down by NZ Warriors Mo'unga, Kiwis chasing Japan club rugby title Sam Jones leading after first round in Belgium The young Newcastle team had an average age over 19.5 if goalkeeper Mark Gillespie was excluded. They were missing stars Alexander Isak, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Miguel Almiron, Fabian Schar, Sean Longstaff, Anthony Gordon, Martin Dubravka and Dan Burn. The All-Stars took full advantage of their lack of depth, scoring when Wellington star Ben Old blasted home after just five minutes. From then on it was a procession of goals with A-League golden boot winner Adam Taggart featuring and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos scoring a couple and others in between. Phoenix midfielder Bozhidar Kraev completed the rout when he elegantly chipped it over Newcastle goalkeeper Aidan Harris for the eighth and last goal of the night. The Phoenix had four players in the All-Stars; Alex Paulsen, Ben Old and Scott Wootton all starting with Kraev off the bench. The hosts dominated the first half and blitzed Newcastle for shots on goal (12-2) and shots on target (6-1), before ultimately winning both stats convincingly 23-5 and 13-1 respectively. Australian teen Garang Kuol made his maiden start for the Magpies and produced their only decent chance of the match in the 25th minute when connected with a shot which went straight to Phoenix All-Stars goalkeeper Paulsen.

A couple of good performances by New Zealand golfers in the United States on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Ryan Fox is tied seventh on the PGA Tour Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas after the second round while Sam Jones has slipped, just a little from the top of the leaderboard at the DP World Tour in Belgium. LATEST HEADLINES: Newcastle done by All-Stars, Old, Kraev goals Hurricanes hold off Chiefs with late penalty Dion Prewster rejoins NBL's Wellington Saints Prop Fonua-Blake stood down by NZ Warriors Mo'unga, Kiwis chasing Japan club rugby title After leading at the completion of the first round Taranaki golfer, Jones is now tied fourth after second round which started with two bogey's but then settled. He managed three birdies to bring the round back into line and be ten under, four shots from the the leader Nacho Elvira of Spain. Fellow Kiwi Daniel Hillier missed the cut after recording rounds of 72 and 70 Fox was one of the early leaders in Texas after he birdied four of his first five holes, but there were two bogey's and one birdy in his last three holes. Fox is five under, alongside Kevin Tway, Robby Shelton, Tony Finau and Brian Harman five shots behind the runaway leader, American Davis Riley.

The Auckland Tuatara have avenged a loss to the Nelson Giants earlier in the season in emphatic fashion. Three-point shooting proved the difference as the National Basketball League (NBL)-leading Tuatara stretched their winning streak to nine games at Eventfinda Stadium on Auckland's North Shore on Friday night. LATEST HEADLINES:  Fox, Jones in top-10 on PGA, DP World Tours Phoenix players score goals in All-Stars victory Hurricanes hold off Chiefs with a late penalty Prop Fonua-Blake stood down by NZ Warriors  Mo'unga, Kiwis chasing Japan club rugby title The Giants handed Auckland their last loss, 88-84 in Nelson on April 12, but their Week 9 clash was comfortable for the Tuatara, who shot 43 percent (10-of-23) on three-point attempts to Nelson's woeful 12 percent (2-of-16). Tall Blacks forward Tom Vodanovich went off for a game-high 30 points (9/13 FG, 5/8 3pt, 7/8 FT) and five rebounds, while Rob Loe finished with 21 points (7/13 FG, 3/5 3pt, 4/4 FT), 13 boards, four assists and two blocks. Four other Tuatara players - Corey Webster, Cam Gliddon, Braydon Iuli and Reuben Te Rangi - scored in double-digits, with Gliddon posting a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. American guard Kobe Langley led the G-Men with 25 points (10/22 FG, 2/8 3pt, 3/4 FT), eight boards, six assists and two steals, while Dan Grida (17 points) and Theo Akwuba (16 points) were the only others above 10. Auckland took control of the game late in the first period, going from three down to 13 up at the 7:35 mark of the second quarter after a 19-3 run, with Loe scoring seven. The Giants scored the last six points of the half and the first six points of the third period to close within two points, but the Tuatara answered immediately. Up nine entering the fourth, Auckland outscored Nelson 26-17 to close out the win, with Vodanovich scoring nine points. The Tuatara (11-2) are next on court next Saturday (tip-off 7.30pm) against the Wellington Saints (7-2), while the Giants (4-7) back-up on Sunday (tip-off 6.30pm) in the second leg of their Super City double-header against the Franklin Bulls (7-3). Auckland Tuatara 99 (Tom Vodanovich 30, Rob Loe 21, Corey Webster 12, Cam Gliddon 11, Braydon Iuli 11, Reuben Te Rangi 10) Nelson Giants 81 (Kobe Langley 25, Dan Grida 17, Theo Akwuba 16). 1Q: 21-19, HT: 50-42, 3Q: 73-64

The Hurricanes overcame an early red card and held off the Chiefs to go back to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific standings. Trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Chiefs made a thrilling comeback before a 79th-minute penalty from Brett Cameron lifted the Hurricanes to a 20-17 victory at Hamilton's FMG Stadium Waikato on Friday night. LATEST HEADLINES:  Dion Prewster rejoins NBL's Wellington Saints Prop Fonua-Blake stood down by NZ Warriors Mo'unga, Kiwis chasing Japan club rugby title  Sam Jones leading after first round in Belgium  Hurricanes re-sign backline trio through 2026  Canterbury dominate down-low to beat Whai  Maor departs NZ Breakers to coach in Japan The Canes lost hooker Raymond Tuputupu to a yellow card for head contact on Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i in the eighth minute, which was upgraded to a red card minutes later. Despite playing a man-down - with No 8 Brayden Iose leaving the field for replacement hooker James O'Reilly - the Hurricanes dominated to lead 14-0 at the break. Prop Xavier Numia stormed through a gap in the Chiefs defensive line in the 19th minute, charging 35m to score in the tackle of fullback Shaun Stevenson. After Chiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier was yellow-carded for a cynical act at a ruck and Iose rejoined the fray after 20 minutes and helped the Canes used their own man-advantage, linking with James Moorby to send Jordie Barrett over in the 35th minute. The Chiefs crossed with their first possession of the second half through wing Emoni Narawa and again through Wallace Sititi after the Hurricanes lost wing Kini Naholo to a yellow card, closing within three Cameron missed a 65th-minute penalty shot, allowing Damian McKenzie to level the game with a three-pointer in the 72nd minute. A Naholo try was disallowed because of a knock on spotted by the TMO, but the Hurricanes stayed on attack and won the critical late penalty when Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson was ruled to have not rolled away at a ruck. The win lifted the Canes to the top the table, one point ahead of the Blues, who face the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday. The Chiefs lost their unbeaten record at home this season but took a bonus point and then dropped to fourth after the ACT Brumbies defeated the Melbourne Rebels later on Friday night. In the final round of the regular season, the Hurricanes (11-0-2, 51 points) are home to the Highlanders next Saturday (kick-off 4.35pm), while the Chiefs (9-0-4, 43 points) face the Blues at Eden Park (kick-off 7.30pm). Hurricanes 20 (Xavier Numua, Jordie Barrett tries; Brett Cameron 2 con, 2 pen) Chiefs 17 (Emoni Narawa, Wallace Sititi tries; Damian McKenzie 2 con, pen). HT: 14-0

Head coach Pero Cameron has named an extended squad of 19 players in contention for the Tall Blacks FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece. The squad of 14 will first travel to Helsinki, Finland on 21 June to compete in a pair of friendly games against top-level European competition; facing world No 20 ranked Finland on 26 June, followed by world No 15 Poland June 29. Following this, a final Tall Blacks squad of 12 will travel to Piraeus, Greece from 2-7 July 2024 to participate in one of four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments run by FIBA. \ LATEST HEADLINES: Sam Cane to call time on All Blacks career NZ's Alker, Fox make big final round charges Giants stun Saints in NBL; Airs down Sharks Cassidy second at Berlin e-Prix, extends lead Auckland City draw at OFC Champions League Other nations at the tournament are Croatia, Greece, Egypt and Dominican Republic – with the team who finishes first earning a ticket to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. If the Tall Blacks win this qualifying tournament, they would progress to the Olympics for the first time in 20 years; their last appearance coming at the Athens Games back in 2004. The extended squad of 14 features a multitude of proven performers on the basketball world stage. Eight core players return from the FIBA World Cup team that competed in the Philippines last August, finishing with a 2-3 record to secure entry into this FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Corey Webster has 93 Tall Blacks appearances while the trio of Hyrum Harrison, Ethan Rusbatch and Tom Vodanovich all suited up for the Tall Blacks at the Asia Cup Qualifiers in February this year. The youngest player in the extended squad, 21-year-old Ben Gold, has played six games in the black jersey for New Zealand. Shea Ili, who was a standout performer for the Tall Blacks at last year’s FIBA World Cup, said making an Olympic squad is something he has long aspired to. “Our main goal is to try and make the Olympics and as a team we’ll be going out to do our absolute best; for me the one thing I’ve always wanted in my career is go to an Olympics and do my family - and our country – proud,” said Ili “As a team we’ve always shown that we when we step foot on that court, we’re capable of beating any opponent we’re up against; but it’s about taking that next step and being able to win the games we need to win to make it through.” Ili belies the Tall Blacks will take on some ‘tough’ competition at the Olympic Qualifiers in July. “We’ll be going up against some big powerhouses in Slovenia and Croatia in group play, and if we can make it through to the crossover we’ll face Greece or another team. So we’ll focus on being able to make it through and take that next step; we can’t just be happy with playing well – we have to make it through to the next stage, do ourselves proud and make the Olympics. TALL BLACKS SQUAD Flynn Cameron, Taranaki Airs/Melbourne United Finn Delany, Casademont Zaragoza/NZBreakers Ben Gold, Marquette University Hyrum Harris, Wellington Saints/Perth Wildcats Tyrell Harrison, Southern Districts Spartans/Brisbane Bullets Shea Ili, Geelong United/Melbourne United Izayah Le’Afa, Wellington Saints/Sydney Kings Jordan Ngatai, Bay Hawks Ethan Rusbatch, Franklin Bulls Reuben Te Rangi, Auckland Tuatara/South East Melbourne Phoenix Tom Vodanovich, Auckland Tuatara Sam Waardenburg, Cairns Taipans Corey Webster, Auckland Tuatara Yanni Wetzell, Alba Berlin Non-Travelling Reserves Taylor Britt, Canterbury Rams Dan Fotu, Nelson Giants/NZ Breakers Sam Mennenga, AS Karditsas/NZ Breakers Taine Murray, Virginia Cavaliers Sam Timmins, Franklin Bulls TALL BLACKS SCHEDULE Pre-OQT Friendly Games vs Finland, time TBC, Wednesday, June 26 vs Poland, time TBC, Saturday, June 29 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament vs Croatia, 2.30am NZT, Thursday, July 4 vs Slovenia, 2.30am NZT, Friday, July 5

Looking to add to their depth, the Wellington Saints have added Dion Prewster for the rest of the National Basketball League (NBL) season. The four-time NBL champion and 2021 NBL Most Valuable Player will join the 12-time champions after two years coaching in Japan, alongside current Saints head coach Zico Coronel. LATEST HEADLINES: Prop Fonua-Blake stood down by NZ Warriors Mo'unga, Kiwis chasing Japan club rugby title Sam Jones leading after first round in Belgium  Hurricanes re-sign backline trio through 2026  Canterbury dominate down-low to beat Whai  Maor departs NZ Breakers to coach in Japan Prewster’s return marks a significant boost to the Saints roster, bringing a wealth of experience and championship pedigree, especially since Wellington announced on Friday that NZ-born big Yuat Alok would not be joining them. Prewster's accolades speak for themselves: NBL All-Star Five (2021), NBL Most Outstanding Guard (2021), NBL Most Outstanding Kiwi Guard (2021), and NBL Defensive Player of the Year (2021). Coronel was excitement about the reunion with Prewster. "Dion and I have worked successfully many times before, sharing three championships - whether it was with the Saints when I was an assistant coach, with Hawke’s Bay, once again with the Saints in ’21, with the Tall Blacks, or as fellow coaches in Shimane, Japan, last year as the club enjoyed the winningest season in its’ history. "Dion has been coaching the last two seasons, so he’ll have some work to do getting used to being a fully-fledged player again, but as he gets himself up to speed, he’ll still add experience and physicality. With a few games under his belt, I think he’ll make a significant positive contribution." After spending the last two seasons in a coaching role, outside playing for the Tall Blacks in two FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers earlier this year, Prewster was eager to transition back to playing. The Saints (7-2) host the Canterbury Rams (8-2) in an important top-four clash at Wellington's TSB Arena on Saturday (tip-off 7.30pm).

NZ Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake has been stood down from Sunday’s Indigenous Round NRL match against the Dolphins on Sunday following a breach of club standards. Head coach Andrew Webster said Fonua-Blake had removed himself from the dressing room after the 22-20 win over the Penrith Panthers on Sunday and was not present for the post-match team address or the team song. LATEST HEADLINES: Mo'unga, Kiwis chasing Japan club rugby title Sam Jones leading after first round in Belgium Hurricanes re-sign backline trio through 2026 Canterbury dominate down-low to beat Whai Canes or Chiefs? Can Crusaders beat Blues? Maor departs NZ Breakers to coach in Japan “This doesn’t meet our standards and Addin accepts full responsibility for his behaviour,” Webster said. The 28-year-old made a season-low 62 metres, well below his season average of 177m, in 49 minutes of game-time against the Panthers. His 51 hit-up metres were well down on his previous season-low of 118m, with just 25m post-contact. He made 25 tackles, with just two missed tackles. Fonua-Blake was named in the Warriors starting lineup on Tuesday to face the Dolphins at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart on Sunday (kick-off 6.05pm). Jazz Tevaga is likely to move from the interchange bench to the run-on side. Fonua-Blake's time with the Warriors ends after this season, with the front-rower confirmed to be joining the Cronulla Sharks on a four-year deal from 2025.

Former All Blacks first-five Richie Mo'unga and more than a dozen other Kiwis will be hoping for a trophy raise come Sunday. Mo'unga's Brave Lupus Tokyo face the Robbie Deans-coached Saitama Wild Knights in the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) - Division 1 final at Tokyo's National Stadium on Sunday (kick-off 6.05pm NZ Time). LATEST HEADLINES: Sam Jones leading after first round in Belgium Tall Ferns Select squad named for Japan tour Hurricanes re-sign backline trio through 2026 Canterbury dominate down-low to beat Whai Canes or Chiefs? Can Crusaders beat Blues? Maor departs NZ Breakers to coach in Japan The ex Crusaders No 10 guided the Kiwi-laden Brave Lupus around the park and booted four conversions in their 28-20 semifinal victory over All Blacks skipper Sam Cane's Suntory Sungoliath last Sunday. Along with Mo'unga, the Brave Lupus lineup included Waikato-bred Nicholas McCurran at second-five, former Otago and Highlanders back Michael Collins at centre, All Blacks flanker Shannon Frizell, the locking pair of Jacob Pierce and Warner Dearns and NZ-born former Japan captain Michael Leitch. The Kiwis were in the scoring action, with former Auckland and Blues lock Jacob Pierce crossing in the 37th minute and 33-test All Black Frizell going over in the 55th minute to put them up 21-13. Coached by former All Black and Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder, the Brave Lupus, which also features Rob Thompson, Seta Tamanivalu and Vea Taumoefolau, finished second in the regular season to the Wild Knights. The Wild Knights, featuring former Chiefs flanker Lachlan Boshier and ex Otago and Highlanders prop Craig Millar, had to sweat out a 20-17 victory over the Yokohama Eagles in the semifinals last Saturday. The Brave Lupus have not won Japan's top competition since completing a run of five titles in six years in 2009-10, while the Wild Knights, looking to complete a perfect season, have won five championships since 2013-14, the most recent in 2022. Meanwhile, in France, ageless Kiwi first-five Jimmy Gopperth made a memorable 500th professional club appearance last weekend. The former Wellington, North Harbour, Hurricanes and Blues No 10 brought up the rare milestone in Provence Rugby's 44-20 win over Grenoble in the Pro D2 competition last Friday (Saturday NZT). Gopperth, who finished 11th in points scored in 26 matches during the regular season, kicked two conversions and a penalty in top-ranked Provence's regular season finale, but also received his first yellow card in more than six years just before halftime for a clumsy no-arms challenge. The 40-year-old racked up his quintuple-century of matches with Wellington, the Hurricanes, North Harbour, the Blues, Newcastle Falcons, Leinster, Wasps, Leicester Tigers and the Barbarians over more than 20 years. Provence, also featuring former Bay of Plenty and Chiefs centre Inga Folau, who scored 10 tries during the season, will play Grenoble again in the semifinals at home in Aix-en-Provence next Thursday (kick-off 7am Friday NZT).