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The National Basketball League (NBL) has developed into four distinct tiers at the regular season's mid-point. The Auckland Tuatara have skipped clear of a chasing group at the top of the standings after eight weeks, improving to 10-2 with a 97-74 victory over the winless Southland Sharks in Invercargill on Saturday night. LATEST HEADLINES:   Mystics put on first-half show against Magic Glen Jackson to take over the Fijian Drua Erin Routliffe hits a new world ranking high  Fiona Xu sets records in Epson Tour victory Hillier wins in Bogota; Fox fades at Valhalla Behind them, four clubs - the defending champion Canterbury Rams, Wellington Saints, Taranaki Airs and Franklin Bulls - have seven wins and look set to jockey for playoff seedings over the final eight weeks. Next is the Bay Hawks, Nelson Giants, Otago Nuggets and Tauranga Whai - all with four wins - who are currently battling for the sixth and final playoffs berth. Although still in the hunt, it would require a complete form 180 for the Manawatu Jets (1-9) or Southland Sharks (0-11) to get into the postseason picture. In Round 9, the Saints and Rams meet in a crucial top-three contest in the Capital on Saturday night, while the Sharks host the Nuggets earlier in the day in Invercargill in the second game of the Deep South Derby. Australian guard Ben Ayre scored a game-high 30 points (9/22 FG, 3/9 3pt, 9/12 FT) for the Saints, who held off the Bulls 87-85 in Pukekohe on Sunday. Hyrum Harris returned to the Saints lineup and produced 17 points (8/17 FG), seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals, while Taane Samuel put up 16 points (6/9 FG) and nine boards off the bench. Ethan Rusbatch top-scored for the Bulls with 22 points (8/16 FG, 5/11 3pt) and five boards, while he got support from Sam Timmins (19 points (7/11 FG, 5/9 FT), 10 rebounds and two blocks), Luther Muhammad (19 points (8/22 FG), eight assists and two steals) and Josh Scott (17 points (5/13 FG, 7/9 FT), four boards and five assists). Wellington took the lead for good in the second quarter and took control of the game with 10 straight points, including seven points from Ayre, in the third period to take an 11-point lead. Also on Sunday, the Whai shot 42 percent on three-point attempts to improve to 4-6, seeing off the Giants 83-69 at Nelson's Trafalgar Centre. After releasing import Vance Jackson Jr earlier in the week, the Whai rebounded from a 96-76 loss to the Rams on Friday night. American big Phil Carr stood up with 25 points (9/12 FG, 2/3 3pt, 5/5 FT) and 12 rebounds. Kiwi guards Kruz Perrott-Hunt (19 points (5/11 FG, 4/7 3pt, 5/6 FT) and seven boards) and Jayden Bezzant (18 points (7/15 FG, 2/7 3pt), five rebounds and three steals), and American guard Demarcus Holland (10 points, seven boards and seven assists) also made valuable contributions. Australian forward Dan Grida led the Giants with 24 points (10/26 FG, 4/4 FT), eight rebounds and two steals, while Tall Black Dan Fotu added 17 points (7/10 FG) and eight boards. The Whai surged to a 12-point lead with an 13-0 run, including back-to-back threes from Perrott-Hunt, late in the third period, before bumping the gap to as many as 16 in the fourth. As expected, the league-leading Tuatara handled the now 0-11 Sharks, although they did need a big fourth quarter to get the job done at Stadium Southland. Reigning league MVP Rob Loe was at his best for the Aucklanders, finishing with a game-high 29 points (11/17 FG, 4/7 3pt, 3/6 FT), 10 rebounds and steals, while Corey Webster and Tom Vodanovich each had 20 points. Webster shot 7-of-14, including a pair of threes, and added a season-high 13 assists, Vodanovich 6-of-13, with three triples, and eight boards. Australian guard Cam Gliddon provided 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Alonzo Burton led Southland with 19 points (6/16 FG, 3/11 3pt, 4/4 FT), with support from import guard Caleb Asberry (16 points (5/11 FG, 2/6 3pt, 4/4 FT), seven boards and three steals) and Callum McRae with eight points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Leading by just two after three quarters, the Tuatara overpowered the Sharks in the fourth, outscoring them 33-12, with a 15-2 burst in the middle stages putting the game out of reach. Loe had 16 points, including three triples, in the fourth. The Airs had an easier time against the equally-struggling Jets in New Plymouth on Saturday, cruising to a 108-70 victory. NZ Breakers development player Carlin Davison went off for a game-high 25 points (9/15 FG, 6/10 FT), 11 rebounds and two steals, while Australian forward Sam Froling had 23 points (7/17 FG, 9/10 FT) and 15 boards. The Cameron brothers, Flynn and Tobias, each had 16 points, Flynn shooting 6-of-10 (2-of-3 on threes) and adding six rebounds, five assists and two steals. American guard Mustapha Heron led the Jets, who released import Troy Baxter Jr last week, with 21 points (9/15 FG) and five boards, while James Moors had 17 points (7/16 FG), nine rebounds and four assists. Taranaki, who led by 19 in the first quarter, 31 in the third and 45 in the fourth, forced 23 Jets turnovers, leading directly to 36 points. Their 52-36 rebounding advantage also contributed to 58 points in the paint and 30 second-chance points. Wellington Saints 87 (Ben Ayre 30, Hyrum Harris 17, Taane Samuel 16, Tohi Smith-Milner 11, Lat Mayen 10) Franklin Bulls 85 (Ethan Rusbatch 22, Sam Timmins 19, Luther Muhammad 19, Josh Scott 17). 1Q: 17-22, HT: 47-42, 3Q: 66-59 Tauranga Whai 83 (Phil Carr 25, Kruz Perrott-Hunt 19, Jayden Bezzant 18, Demarcus Holland 10) Nelson Giants 69 (Dan Grida 24, Dan Fotu 17, Kobe Langley 13). 1Q: 20-17, HT: 40-38, 3Q: 59-49 Auckland Tuatara 97 (Rob Loe 29, Corey Webster 20, Tom Vodanovich 20, Cam Gliddon 10) Southland Sharks 74 (Alonzo Burton 19, Caleb Asberry 16, Scott Telfer 12, Brayden Inger 11). 1Q: 20-19, HT: 42-38, 3Q: 64-62 Taranaki Airs 108 (Carlin Davison 25, Sam Froling 23, Flynn Cameron 16, Tobias Cameron 16) Manawatu Jets 70 (Mustapha Heron 21, James Moors 17). 1Q: 34-18, HT: 54-36, 3Q: 78-58 Canterbury Rams 96 (MJ Walker 19, KJ Buffen 16, Lachlan Olbrich 16, Taylor Britt 13, Walter Brown 12) Tauranga Whai 76 (Jayden Bezzant 21, Te Tuhi Lewis 13, Demarcus Holland 12, Phil Carr 11). 1Q: 19-19, HT: 41-32, 3Q: 68-47

Erin Routliffe has gone where no New Zealand tennis player has been before. She's now officially ranked No 3 in the world in doubles. The 29-year-old moved to a new high of three after teaming with Coco Gauff and reaching the doubles final at the Italian Open. LATEST HEADLINES: Hobbs wins in Tokyo; Para gold for Stedman Hillier wins in Bogota; Fox fades at Valhalla Auckland City reach O-League semifinals Wood scores two to help Forest stay up McLaughlin blazes to take Indy 500 pole Routliffe was number six which is also the high for Michael Venus in doubles, but now the Canadian-based kiwi is sitting behind only Sui Wei Hsieh (Chinese Taipei) and Elise Mertens (Belgium) in the rankings. The previous high ranking for Routliffe was No 5, last month. Gaby Dabrowski, the regular partner for Rouliffe is currently injured meaning Leylah Fernandez will be her partner for this week in Strasbourg where they are up against the top seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez in the first round. Fernandez and Routliffe will also team together for the French Open. Routliffe has five WTA doubles titles to her credit including the US Open last year with Dabrowski. Meanwhile New Zealand No 1 in singles Lulu Sun is now up to 128 in the rankings. Sun is this week playing the qualifying at the French Open

The Fijian Drua have confirmed the appointment of former Chiefs and Bay of Plenty first-five Glen Jackson as head coach for the 2025 season and beyond. Jackson has served as an assistant to Mick Byrne, who will leave to take over the Fijian national side at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season. LATEST HEADLINES:   Erin Routliffe hits a new world ranking high Fiona Xu sets records in Epson Tour victory Hobbs wins in Tokyo; Para gold for Stedman Hillier wins in Bogota; Fox fades at Valhalla McLaughlin blazes to claim Indy 500 pole Jackson has signed a three-year deal with the Drua, having recently gone to the 2023 Rugby World Cup with Fiji as an assistant coach. “I am grateful, humbled by the opportunity and the responsibility is not lost on me. I have learnt a lot and I am very passionate about the Fijian culture," Jackson said in a statement. "My time at the Flying Fijians and Drua has shown me how powerful the Fijian culture, community and passion in moulding good players and good people. “I’m very excited about the future to work with quality players and for the chance to develop leaders. The Drua can change people’s lives and rugby is our national sport. "I am committed to ensuring Fiji continues to make a stand in Super Rugby Pacific, grows the game and sets a platform for the next generation.” Jackon, 48, played 60 matches for the Chiefs in Super Rugby, and for Bay of Plenty in the NPC, between 1999 and 2004, before moving to England and playing 130 times for Saracens over five seasons. The former Maori All Black moved into officiating after his playing career was over, becoming the first New Zealander to play in and referee more then 100 first-class matches. He hung up his whistle and moved into coaching in 2019. Drua CEO Mark Evans backed Jackson to step up as Byrne makes the next step in his career. "Glen has already made a tremendous contribution to the Drua since our inception in 2022," Evans said. "Glen has wonderful ideas which will allow the Fijian Drua to have even greater success moving into the future. "His deep knowledge of the Fijian culture complemented by his insights and relationship with the players, staff and everyone in the club assures the continuity with Drua needs." The Drua currently hold the eighth and final playoffs spot, with a 5-0-7 record, in the Super Rugby Pacific standings, with two rounds remaining.

The Epson Tour’s 'West Coast Swing' was one for the history books as Kiwi golfer Fiona Xu set the new 54-hole scoring record for the Epson Tour and Copper Rock Championship at 22-under to end the four-week stretch out west. Just three weeks ago, compatriot Juliana Hung set the all-time 54-hole scoring record at the IOA Championship at 21-under, where Xu finished runner-up, but it was Xu who finally broke through to get her first professional win and set the new record in Hurricane, Utah. LATEST HEADLINES:  Hobbs wins in Tokyo; Para gold for Stedman Hillier wins in Bogota; Fox fades at Valhalla Auckland City reach O-League semifinals  Wood scores two to help Forest stay up  McLaughlin blazes to take Indy 500 pole After tying the course record during her second round, Xu picked up right where she left off, making birdie on four of her first five holes to start her final round on Sunday (Monday NZ Time). The 19-year-old cooled down slightly, making four pars to make the turn with a four-under 32. Xu rattled off three more birdies to start her back nine, before finally making a bogey on No 13, her first in 35 holes. Like a champion does, Xu bounced back, making two birdies in her last five holes, including an impressive birdie on the difficult 18th hole to break the all-time 54-hole scoring record in style. “It feels pretty great. I didn't really expect to, you know, break the record, but I just played how I wanted to play and just took every opportunity the course gave me,” said Xu on her record-breaking performance. “Everything was going great. I was hitting fairways, and my approach shots were really good this week. A lot of birdies from 10 feet or within 10 feet. So, my putting and my approach were the biggest things this week." Xu has had a remarkable start to her rookie season, not finishing outside the top-25 in any event in 2024. The win pushed the New Zealand native, who has been steadily climbing the rankings, to No 1 in the Race for the Card standings by a comfortable margin. “I’m pretty comfortable, I guess,” explained Xu with a smile. “I'm pretty happy that I won today, but I know that I'm not going to loosen up, but each tournament is also different. So, I still want to play the best I can each week.” The Epson Tour, after the thrilling Copper Rock Championship, will return to action June 7-9 in Battle Creek, Michigan for the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. Amelia Garvey (+5) and Hung (+7) both missed the cut. Hung sits fifth in the Race for the Card standings, while Garvey is 135th.

New Zealand sprint queen Zoe Hobbs has eased to an outdoor season-opening victory in Japan. Hobbs clocked 11.17 seconds to take the women's 100m final at the Golden Grand Prix meet at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Sunday as she began her preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics. LATEST HEADLINES: Hillier wins in Bogota; Fox fades at Valhalla Auckland City reach O-League semifinals Wood scores two to help Forest stay up  McLaughlin blazes to take Indy 500 pole  Ramsden cuts New Zealand 1500m time The 26-year-old was cautious out of the blocks in an even start across the field. She surged ahead in the final 50m to win comfortably. At the same competition, Tori Peeters finished third in the women's javelin with a throw of 61.26m, while Tiaan Whelpton finished ninth in his heat of the men's 100m in 10.52 seconds. It was big week for New Zealand women pole vaulters Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris, both Olympic hopefuls. The pair finished first and second at the Nick Phipps Memorial in Loughborough, England on Tuesday, McTaggart clearing 4.56m and Ayris 4.40m. Ayris followed it up by winning the De Montreuil meet in France on Thursday, with a 4.57m effort. McTaggart finished seventh and Ayris eighth at the Diamond League meet in Marrakech, Morocco on Sunday, both clearing 4.45m. Also in Japan, Portia Bing won the women's 400m hurdles at the 11th Kinami Michitaka Memorial in Osaka last weekend, clocking 55.72 seconds. Lauren Bruce earned third in the women's hammer throw at the International Sparkassen Hammerwurf meet, with a best of 67.15m. James Preston won the men's 800m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event in South Africa, running home in 1 minute 45.17 seconds, while Ethan Olivier, an Olympian in triple jump, clocked 11.03 seconds in the men's 100m at the ACNW League meet. In Japan, William Stedman claimed a gold medal in the men's T36 400m at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe. In a personal-best and New Zealand record time of 53.36 seconds, Stedman beat world T36 record holder and defending champion James Turner of Australia, who clocked 53.52 seconds, on Sunday. Stedman said it was as close as its going to get to a perfect race. “I got out well and ran a good first 200m, staying nice and relaxed. Then started pushing around the bend and in that last 100m just focused on being relaxed, but in the last 10 metres my legs were completely shot, and the momentum managed to carry me through. "I’m really happy with the way I ran that race, in those conditions and to run a PB is really cool," said 24-year-old Stedman. Earlier in the day, Anna Grimaldi collected the bronze medal in the women's T47 100m final in 12.72 seconds.

New Zealand runner Maia Ramsden has continued her remarkable progress in the United States, taking two seconds off the NZ national women's 1500 metres record at a USATF Grand Prix meet in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old Wellingtonian, who attends Harvard University in Boston, finished 11th in a fast-paced race with a time of 4 minutes 02.58 seconds. LATEST HEADLINES: Routliffe, Gauff lose in Italian Open final Canada score first win over Black Ferns Tactix win clash of south island sides Makeshift Warriors upset Penrith Panthers Wellington Phoenix bow out in semifinals The previous record was 4min 04.82sec set by Nikki Hamblin at Barcelona in 2011. The performance also represented a personal best by almost four seconds, faster than the 4min 06.51sec she ran in the world indoor final at Glasgow in March. Her time was just outside the qualification for the Paris Olympics by 0.8 seconds. During the race Ramsden was placed near the back of the 17-strong field but moved up several places in the final lap which was dominated by African runners. Ethiopian Diribe Welteji won in 3m 55.25s, outsprinting countrywoman and world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu with two Kenyan runners coming in third and fourth. The 2024 NCAA women's 1500m champion was the first New Zealander to win the prestigious title. Earlier this year, she won the national collegiate indoor mile crown with a time of 4m 25.13s, while finishing 10th in the world indoor 1500m.

New Zealand golfers Harry Hillier and Ryan Fox experienced contrasting final days on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) at tournaments in North and South America. Hillier went five-under to win the PGA Tour Americas' Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship by eight strokes in Bogota, Colombia, while Fox continued to slide down the leaderboard at golf's second major, the PGA Championship, with a three-over 74 in the final round in Louisville, Kentucky. LATEST HEADLINES: Auckland City reach O-League semifinals Wood scores two to help Forest stay up McLaughlin blazes to take Indy 500 pole  Ramsden cuts New Zealand 1500m time Routliffe, Gauff lose in Italian Open final Canada score first win over Black Ferns Hillier maintained his 54-hole lead to claim his first PGA Tour-sanctioned victory and win by eight strokes. With this being the final event of the Latin America Swing, Hillier moved to No 2 in the Fortinet Cup to secure conditional status on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour, and lock in exemptions to the Korn Ferry Tour’s first four Latin America events next season (Panama, Bogota, Argentina, Chile). Additionally, he will continue to compete in the season-long race for the Fortinet Cup, as the top-10 players at the end of the season will earn fully exempt status on Korn Ferry Tour in 2025. After shooting a record-breaking 13-under 59 on Friday (Saturday NZT), Hillier took the solo lead for the first time this season and maintained a five-stroke lead over James Swash throughout the third round. A two-under front-nine followed by a bogey-free, three-under back-nine cemented Hillier’s dominance of the leaderboard. He extended his lead to eight strokes with a birdie on the 17th hole and finished with a par on No 18 to finish at 26-under for the tournament. “I'm stoked, I'm over the moon," said Hillier said. "I cannot wait to get back to Kansas City and celebrate with my friend, my brother. I'm sure I'll get a FaceTime from Mom and Dad here soon." "This isn't just me, this is my team, the guys that have helped me out, Mom, Dad, sponsors. I'm just the one hitting the golf ball, they're the ones doing the most help. Yeah, I'm over the moon and I'm glad I get to share this one with them. It means a lot." Hillier moved up 18 spots in the Fortinet Cup standings with the victory. The New Zealand native started the week at No 20 and was one of 28 players who had the chance to finish in the top-two of the Fortinet Cup to earn conditional Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2025 season. Prior to Sunday’s win, Hillier tied his best career performance at the Kia Open two weeks ago with a T3 finish. His other top-three finish came at the 2023 PGA Tour Latinoamérica Diners Club Peru Open. Prior to turning professional in 2022, he played collegiately at the University of Kansas for five seasons. He joined his brother, Charlie Hillier, for two seasons as a Jayhawk before Charlie turned professional following his senior season in 2019. Now a Kansas local, Hillier and his brother Charlie teach golf at a performance academy called The Golf Stable located in Kansas City during their time off from tournaments. Fox carded three birdies and six bogeys on the last day at the Valhalla Golf Club, dropping six places to 75th. The world No 57, who shot a three-under 68 in the second round to make the cut by one stroke, finished at two-over for the week, 23 strokes behind the first-time major winner, American Xander Schauffele, who birdied the 18th for victory. Fox started his round with back-to-back bogeys, before a birdie at the fourth, making the turn at even-par overall. His back-nine began bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie, before two more bogeys at the 17th and 18th. Meanwhile, Momoka Kobori also went in the wrong direction at the Ladies European Tour's German Masters on Sunday (Monday NZT). Kobori carded a two-over 74, featuring three birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey in the final round, finishing the tournament at two-over, six shots behind the leader. The 25-year-old was in a position to challenge for the title after birdies at the second and sixth holes, moving to two-under. However, he dropped four shots in the four holes from the ninth, culminating with a double-bogey at the par-four 12th.

Auckland City have confirmed their place in the semifinals of the OFC Champions League 2024 after a 5-0 victory over Solomon Warriors FC at Stade Paea. Dylan Manickum was the star turn for the New Zealanders, scoring a hat-trick on Saturday (Sunday NZ Time) as the defending champions flexed their muscles ahead of next week’s semifinals. LATEST HEADLINES: Wood scores two to help Forest stay up McLaughlin blazes to take Indy 500 pole Ramsden cuts New Zealand 1500m time Routliffe, Gauff lose in Italian Open final Canada score first win over Black Ferns The Solomon Islands side were already assured of their elimination, having lost their opening matches, but were impressive in a first half low on chances. Gagame Feni – so often his side’s primary attacking outlet – was again a focal point. The powerful forward had the first shot in vain, scuffing his effort from the edge of the box straight at goalkeeper Conor Tracey. As the first period meandered to a close, Dylan Manickum was on hand to give the defending champions the lead. Stipe Ukich’s effort could only be palmed out in front of goal by Timothy Maearasia and Manickum tapped into the unguarded net. Manickum made it two for himself and his side within five minutes of the restart. Substitute Tong Zhou making the most of a loose ball in the box to prod the ball through for Manickum to stab home. The hat-trick duly followed on the hour mark. Stipe Ukich was adjudged to have been upended in the box and Manickum converted with confidence. Five minutes later and a second penalty was awarded, Ukich again winning the spot-kick. The winger took responsibility himself, slotting into the corner to make it 4-0 with just over twenty minutes remaining. The defending champions were showing their class as the second half wore on and a fifth arrived with a quarter of an hour left in the match. Substitute Ryan De Vries showing excellent footwork to create space in the box, before dragging a clever effort inside the near post to wrong-foot Maearasia. Auckland City must now wait for Group B’s remaining fixtures to discover their opponent for Wednesday's (Thursday NZT) semifinal, with three of four teams in that group still in the mix for a place in the final four. Auckland City FC 5 (Dylan Manickum 40’, 49′, 60′ (pen), Stipe Ukich 66′ (pen), Ryan De Vries 75′) Solomon Warriors 0. HT: 1-0

All Whites striker Chris Wood has scored two goals to keep Nottingham Forest up in the Premier League. Entering the final day of the season on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) with a chance of dropping to the second-tier Championship, Wood ended his goal drought to help the Midlands club secure 17th and stay in the top tier. LATEST HEADLINES: McLaughlin blazes to take Indy 500 pole Ramsden cuts New Zealand 1500m time Routliffe, Gauff lose in Italian Open final Canada score first win over Black Ferns Makeshift NZ Warriors shock Panthers The 32-year-old found the back of the net twice in the first 15 minutes of Forest's 2-1 victory over his former club Burnley at the Turf Moor in Burnley. Wood scored his first in the second minute, latching on to Anthony Elanga's cross at the back post, banging home with his left foot to end a five-match goal-less streak. There was plenty of fortune involved in the second in the 14th minute. When he deflected Yates' shot from the top of the box into the bottom left corner, he was initially flagged for offside and the goal rubbed out. However, after a VAR check, which Nottingham Forest and their fans have been highly critical of this season, the goal was allowed to stand. Forest, who were deducted four points for breaches of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, finished with 32 points, six ahead of Luton Town, who fell 4-2 to Fulham at home. Before Sunday, Wood had not scored since a 3-1 loss to Tottenham on April 7. It was his third multi-goal game of the season, and first since a hat-trick against Newcastle United on Boxing Day. The Hamilton boy finished the season with 14 goals in 31 Premier League appearances, his equal-most after scoring 14 for Burnley in 2019-20, while he scored 15 goals overall, his most since scoring 30 for Leeds United, then in the Championship, in 2016-17. Burnley sent the New Zealand captain to Newcastle in January, 2022, He played 35 matches across two seasons Tyneside before being loaned to Forest 12 months later. The move became permanent last off-season.

New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin will start from pole in next week's Indianapolis 500 after he won the Fast Six qualifying. McLaughlin set the fastest time in the 108-year history of The Great American Race, posting an average speed of just over 234 mph (377kmh) over his four laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday (Monday NZ Time). LATEST HEADLINES: Ramsden cuts New Zealand 1500m time Routliffe, Gauff lose in Italian Open final Canada score first win over Black Ferns Tactix win clash of south island sides Makeshift Warriors upset Penrith Panthers It was the first career Indy 500 pole for McLaughlin, who also set the fastest four-lap average pole speed in the history of the race of 234.220 mph. McLaughlin's Australian teammate Will Power will start second and reigning champion Josef Newgarden, another Team Penske driver, third for the 108th edition next Sunday (Monday NZT). It was McLaughlin's second pole start at an oval race, having secured pole at the Indycar race at Gateway in Madison, Illinois last year. However, this is the big race with huge on-track audiences and viewership. "I owe my Mum and Dad back home in New Zealand. Indy hasn't been kind for me and a lot of that is my doing. I need to work on things and this is the first step," said McLaughlin. In his three Indy 500 races so far, McLaughlin's best finish was 14th. Fellow New Zealanders Marcus Armstrong will start from 16th on the grid, on the inside of the sixth row, while Scott Dixon, who won the race in 2008, will be 21st, on the outside of the seventh row. Dixon's crew had to change engines before qualifying, with the 42-year-old uncharacteristically off the pace on Saturday (Sunday NZT).

New Zealand Commonwealth Games squash player Temwa Chileshe has finally won the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Squash Open after three years of being a beaten finalist. However Chileshe's title wasn't easy as he was given a decent fight for the title from second Anthony Lepper from Auckland. LATEST HEADLINES: Wellington Phoenix bow out in semifinals Pulse continue winning form in Premiership Chiefs escape with late victory over Rebels Coll beaten in world championships semis Routliffe, Gauff into Italian Open doubles final Chileshe entered the tournament with a PSA World Squash ranking of 121 against Lepper at 144 started the final well taking the first set 11-6. In the second game Lepper was ahead 6-1, but after a service error Chileshe started to work his way back and actually take the set 11-8. However, the third game saw a fired up Lepper create a bit of havoc and take the game 11-8 with a few authoritative shots. The fourth game followed suite with Lepper taking the game to Chileshe who made a few uncharacteristic mistakes. The Aucklander won the fourth set 11-7 with a big shot and a roar for the large crowd at the North Shore Squash Club. But the fifth game had Chileshe re-establish himself and win the game 11-7 for the title and an eventual scoreline of 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7. It was the second PSA Challenger Tour title for Chileshe after being a finalist on numerous occasions around New Zealand and around the world. In the women's final between the two 18-year-olds, Madison Lyon from Australia the top seed and Ella Lash from Auckland, the second seed it was a contest for a first Challenger title. Lyon had an entry ranking of 133 and beat Lash, ranked 146 in the Oceania Junior Championships recently, while Lash had won in the Australian Junior Championships. In the Auckland Open Lash started well, winning the first set 11-8, before Lyson settled down and proved more aggressive dominating the front of the court to eventually win 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5. ReplyReply allForward

The Blues continue to rise in Super Rugby Pacific while the Crusaders continue with their fall after another winnable game became a loss. A second half scoring spree helped the Blues to a 47-13 win over the Highlanders at Eden Park and to a three point advantage at the top of the points ladder. LATEST HEADLINES: Pulse continue winning form in Premiership Chiefs escape with late victory over Rebels Coll beaten in world championships semis Routliffe, Gauff into Italian Open doubles final Hurricanes win ugly against Moana Pasifika The Blues are on 50 points, with the Hurricanes 47. The Brumbies are next on 43 and the Chiefs 42. The Blues scored seven tries in total, three in first half where the score was 21-13 at the break and then another four in the second spell. Hooker Kurt Eklund crossed in both the first and second halves, while another Ofa Tu'ungafasi was the first to score in the match after just four minutes. Timoci Tavatavanawai replied for the visitors a few minutes later. and his teams solitary try. However, his team fell away and were bulled by the Blues as Kade Banks scoring on debut, while Taufa Funaki and Caleb Clarke also added to the score. Meanwhile in Canberra, the ACT Brumbies secured a Super Rugby home playoff match after a last-minute penalty try ensured a gutsy 31-24 win over the Crusaders. The game seemed set to end level until Quinten Strange conceded a penalty try in the last minute. The Crusaders lock intentionally knocked back a loose ball after Noah Lolesio's side-line penalty goal attempt struck the upright. It was the first win against the Crusaders for 15 years. . The Brumbies had to defend against a determined Crusaders attack, which dominated territory for large stretches of the match. The Brumbies had a 10-point buffer coming out from halftime but a Noah Hotham try with 12 minutes left and a penalty kick from Chay Fihaki let the visitors level the scores. It was an all-too-familiar feeling for the Crusaders, who have looked competitive throughout the season but remain second-bottom after just two wins. The Brumbies took the ascendancy after a forward pass denied Sevuloni Reece an early opening try for the Crusaders. The home side's dominant forward pack picked and drove their way irresistibly towards the tryline before Noah Lolesio lifted his head and found Andy Muirhead all alone on the right wing with a cross-field bomb to open the scoring. Soon after Brumbies fullback Tom Wright found himself one-on-one with Crusaders five-eighth Fergus Burke, who he left in his wake with a disdainful don't argue on his way to the tryline. But the Crusaders got themselves back into the game after Tamati Tua was sent to the bin for a high shot on Jone Rova. Crusaders fullback Johnny McNicholl made the most of the numerical advantage to get his side on the board with an overload on the left flank. Wright scored his second of the night before Reece caught the Brumbies defence napping to scamper through for the first try after the break. No 8 Rob Valetini went over in the second half to extend the Brumbies lead before the chaotic finish. Blues 47 (Kurt Eklund 2, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Cole Forbes, Kade Banks, Taufa Funaki, Caleb Clarke tries; Harry Plummer 6 con) Highlanders 13 (Timoci Tavatavanawai try; Cameron Millar con, 2 pen). HT: 21-13 ACT Brumbies 31 (Andy Muirhead, Tom Wright 2, Rob Valetini tries, penalty try; Noah Lolesio 2 con) Crusaders 24 (Johnny McNicholl, Sevu Reece, Noah Hotham tries; Fergus Burke 3 con, Chay Fihaki pen). HT: 17-7