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A third-quarter charge by the Mainland Tactix led to their overthrow of the defending ANZ Premiership champion Northern Mystics, 62-59, at the Trusts Arena in Auckland. The two sides went into this Round 3 match unbeaten, and the Mystics came out firing to lead by four at halftime. But the Tactix dominated the third spell and kept their composure in a nerve-wracking fourth quarter to register the important win. LATEST HEADLINES:   * Multiple top-10 for NZ golfers around globe * ICC Black Caps name T20 World Cup squad * Scott McLaughlin wins Alabama Grand Prix * Hamish Kerr wins at Diamond League title * Phoenix finish regular season with big win A late comeback by the Mystics, scoring five goals in a row even with key shooter Grace Nweke on the sideline, brought them back to within one with 80 seconds left on the clock. But it was not quite enough to turn the tables. Veteran shooter Ellie Bird, stepping into the Tactix to cover for Aaliyah Dunn who has undergone knee surgery, was calm and collected under the hoop, missing only one shot in her 52 attempts at goal. And Greer Sinclair’s vision down-court to feed Bird was crucial to their victory. Playing in front of a vibrant home crowd for the first time this season, the Mystics began with a flourish, using speed and vision to pierce the Tactix defensive line, and strong midcourt defence to annoy the Tactix attack. They had a four-goal lead after the opening five minutes, but a Kimiora Poi intercept helped to close the gap to one. In an early change for the home side, Katie Te Ao came on at centre for Tayla Earle who was nursing a black eye from a warm-up accident, and the flow of their attack wasn’t impacted, especially with Peta Toeava using her blinding skills and long accurate passes into Nweke at the back. Bird shot without a miss in the first quarter, and the Tactix looked to have found their rhythm near the end of the spell – until some messy play was quickly capitalised on by the Mystics, who led 18-14 at the break. The Mystics brought Carys Stythe into goal keep for Catherine Hall to start the second quarter, and she made her presence felt early, teaming up with Phoenix Karaka to cut off avenues to Bird and force Te Paea Selby-Rickit to put up more shots. Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson was also in superb form at wing defence, disrupting and stealing ball. Karin Burger, in her 50th game for the Tactix, bolstered her game in the second quarter rattling Nweke and Filda Vui (also making her 50th ANZ Premiership appearance) and helping to reduce a six-goal deficit to one. The Mystics then brought Hannah Glen into their shooting circle to change up their attack. Once again, the Mystics took control in the final minutes of the quarter – the Tactix mixing up their midcourt trying to find new options of getting the ball to their shooters – and the home side went into halftime 32-28 ahead. The Tactix returned to the court with a new determination on defence, with goal keep Jane Watson especially fired up, and for the first time in the game, the Tactix took the lead. Sinclair was a wise change at wing defence then centre, using her smart vision to feed Bird with long passes and the Tactix won the quarter, 19-13, to have a 47-45 advantage going into the final stanza. Selby-Rickit left the court with a leg problem and was replaced by Jess Allan, who supported Bird well in the shooting circle. Nweke then went off with eight minutes left on the clock, holding her knee, and Glen returned to the court to partner with Vui for the rest of the game. The young combo did well, standing up to the most experienced defenders in the game, and helped bring it back to within one in the last moments. But it was the Tactix defence ­– Burger ending up with six deflections – who brought their foot down and held out for the win. Mainland Tactix 62 (Ellie Bird 51/52, Te Paea Selby-Rickit 7/12, Jess Allan 4/5) Northern Mystics 59 (Grace Nweke 42/46, Filda Vui 9/10, Hannah Glen 8/10). 1Q: 14-18, HT: 28-32, 3Q: 47-45

The NZ Warriors have become the first team in the history of the Harold Matthews Cup to claim the premiership in their maiden year after defeating the Western Suburbs Magpies 34-16 at CommBank Stadium on Saturday. It continued a fairy tale run for the Warriors, who had to win their final game of the regular season to snatch sixth spot in the finals, followed by sudden-death wins over Parramatta Eels and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to make the decider. LATEST HEADLINES: * Confidence-boosting win for Mainland Tactix * Multiple top-10 for NZ golfers around globe * ICC Black Caps name T20 World Cup squad * Scott McLaughlin wins Alabama Grand Prix * Hamish Kerr wins at Diamond League title Warriors lock Lennox Tuiloma scored two tries in the decider, including a strong effort in the second half where he dragged defenders over the line with him before breaking free to score He was named Player of the Match, while the Magpies received some consolation after centre Haemasi Makasini was awarded Player of the Series. Warriors coach Thaine Ashford said the historic result was just the beginning for pathways programmes in New Zealand, with the Auckland-based club joining the Harold Matthews Cup for the first time in 2024. “It is probably bigger than us,” Ashford said. “Obviously it is special to us, but (also) for the game in New Zealand having the opportunity to showcase that you can stay home and build something from where we are. “I’m very grateful to be a part of something special and to be a part of history.” The Magpies started strong with back-to-back tries to back-rower Teancam Epati and five-eighth Jhevon Lele in the opening six minutes to take their lead out to 10-0. The Warriors hit back in the 11th minute through halfback Jack Thompson who broke through the defensive line to race down the field to score (10-6). Trailing by four points, the Warriors pushed the Magpies in defence – forcing an error in their half. The Warriors pounced on the mistake and found themselves in front after Thompson passed short to back-rower Militonimolela Sikuvea who crashed over the line (12-10). With momentum behind them, the Warriors scored another two tries along with a penalty goal to extend their lead out to 24-10 at half-time. The second half started with both teams testing one another in both attack and defence with set-for-set football being played for the opening 12 minutes. The Warriors were the first to score in the second half, after Magpies fullback Ali Hickam Karnib spilled a Thompson grubber. Wing Ezekiel Davidson-Faaiuaso regathered the ball and charged to the line – carrying a defender on his back before passing the ball to utility Boston Krone to score (28-10). The Magpies won the ball back from the kick-off before hooker Ashton Large found space for prop Christina Taupau-Moors to crash over the line and reduce the deficit to 12 points with 10 minutes remaining (28-16). The Warriors sealed the deal in the final five minutes when lock Tuiloma powered his way through the goal-line defence for his second try. “Every single one of these boys has played their part to get us here today, not just the boys that took the field today,” Ashford said. “The boys turned up for each other and they believed in each other and that’s what it can do for you sometimes. I’m very happy and very grateful for the win.”

Kane Williamson will lead a Black Caps squad with a wealth of tournament experience to the ICC T20 World Cup, starting in the West Indies and United States in June. It will be Williamson’s sixth appearance in a T20 World Cup squad and his fourth tournament as captain. LATEST HEADLINES: McLaughlin wins Alabama Grand Prix Pulse continue winning, Steel 21 losses Blues last-gasp try, Highlanders grind Kerr wins at Diamond League Shanghai Black Caps fall short in fifth T20 v Pakistan His experience is bettered only by Tim Southee, who has earned selection in his seventh T20 World Cup squad and currently is the leading wicket taker in the history of T20 Internationals. Further to the experience offered by Williamson and Southee, Trent Boult has been selected in his fifth T20 World Cup squad. The squad also boasts significant recent experience in the conditions with 13 of the 15-man group featuring on the team’s last tour to the West Indies in 2022. As well as that, six of the squad have also featured in the Caribbean Premier League T20 competition. Bowler Matt Henry and batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra are the only two members of the 15 without ICC T20 World Cup experience. Alongside the 15 players selected in the tournament squad, pace bowler Ben Sears will travel and train with the team as injury cover. The squad has limited wicket keeping available with Devon Conway expected to be behind the stumps and possibly Finn Allen as reserve. Adam Milne was ruled out following surgery to repair an ankle injury, and Kyle Jamieson was also unavailable for selection as he continues to rehabilitate his back injury. Black Caps coach Gary Stead said naming a squad for a pinnacle event was always an exciting time. “I'd like to congratulate everyone named today. It’s a special time representing your country at a world tournament. “We expect the venues in the West Indies to offer quite varied conditions and feel we’ve selected a squad with the scope to adapt to those conditions.” Stead said he was delighted to name two players for an ICC T20 World Cup the first time, in Henry and Ravindra. "Matt has worked exceptionally hard on his skills across the phases of a T20 game to come back into selection consideration," he said. “Rachin has made every post a winner in the  past 12 months and it was exciting to see him continue that trajectory over the summer in the T20 format against Australia.” Four players - Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, James Neesham and Ish Sodhi - played in the recently-completed Pakistan T20 tour. BLACK CAPS ICC T20 WORLD CUP SQUAD Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. Travelling reserve: Ben Sears

New Zealand golfers Momoka Kobori, Fiona Xu, Ryan Fox, Steven Alker and Danny Lee have produced top-10 finishes at tournaments in three different countries. Kobori split the runner-up money in South Africa, Xu finished second, Fox and Alker tied for fourth in the US, and Lee in a share of ninth in Australia, while promising Kiwi Daniel Hillier finished tied for 11th in Japan. LATEST HEADLINES:   * Scott McLaughlin wins Alabama Grand Prix * Central Pulse win again, Steel hit 21 losses * Blues score last-gasp try, Highlanders grind * Hamish Kerr wins at Diamond League title * Black Caps fall short in fifth Pakistan T20 * Phoenix finish regular season with big win Kobori finished at 10-under at the Ladies European Tour's South Africa Women's Open at the Erinvale Country and Golf Estate after shooting rounds of 69, 70, 68, and 71, finishing four shots behind Belgium’s Manon De Roey. The joint-second finish was her best on the tour and top finish since her victory at the Women’s NSW Open last year, which sees her move up to 15th on the LET Order of Merit. Xu also recorded her best finish on the Epson Tour since turning pro, finishing in solo second behind former New Zealand stroke play champion Juliana Hung. Xu finished nine shots behind Hung after rounds of 68, 69, and 67 in California, finishing 12-under. On the PGA Tour, Fox teamed up with fellow Presidents Cup hopeful Garrick Higgo (South Africa) at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans – a tournament where pairs play best-ball and foursomes format. Fox and Higgo combined for rounds of 63, 72, and a couple of seven-under 65s over the weekend, finishing in a share of fourth at 23-under, just two shots back of Irishmen Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who beat Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer on the first playoff hole. The pair shot the second-best round of the final day foursomes to jump 23 places up the leaderboard, submitting a valuable audition should they need a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup later in the year. Alker also finished in a tie for fourth at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic on the PGA Tour Champions in Georgia, his third top-five finish alongside his victory earlier in the year. The senior golf phenom was in contention for most of the final day after shooting 65 and 71 in the first two rounds to trail Stephen Ames by a stroke. He remained a stroke behind with nine to play after going out in three-under, but three bogeys in his final four holes derailed any chance of a ninth career win on the tour. Alker remains in the top spot in the Schwab Cup standings. Lee was also in contention through 36 holes in LIV Golf’s popular Adelaide event, eventually finishing in a share of ninth individually, while his Iron Heads GC team finished sixth – their best finish of the season. Lee shot 64, 67, and 71 to finish 14-under, four shots behind South African winner Brendan Steele, while Australia’s Ripper GC side took out the team's competition in a playoff over Stinger GC. Meanwhile, Hillier resumed his DP World Tour season at the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan with an equal-11th finish. Hillier carded consistent rounds of 68, 67, 67, and 68 at Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba Course, and rose 25 places on the DP World Tour Rankings into 120th. Finally, Harry Hillier finished in a share of 18th on the PGA Tour Americas Peru Open, shooting 68, 70, and two 71s over the weekend.

The future of BMX Racing for New Zealand looks strong with young Cambridge riders Bennett Greenough and Leila Walker impressing in the final round in Tulsa. Greenough, who enjoyed a win in the opening stop in Rotorua, finished second overall behind Australian Oliver Moran on the season standings in the UCI BMX Racing under-23 men’s World Cup. Cambridge teenager, Walker made her first elite women’s final after jumping directly from the junior ranks this year. She placed third in her qualifying heat, and fought hard to grab the fourth and final qualifying spot in both her quarterfinal and semifinal. LATEST HEADLINES: McLaughlin wins Alabama Grand Prix Pulse continue winning, Steel 21 losses Blues last-gasp try, Highlanders grind Kerr wins at Diamond League Shanghai Black Caps fall short in fifth T20 v Pakistan Phoenix finish regular season with big win She made ground from the rear in the final, slicing through to fourth before she was edged back to fifth in the sprint finish, to mark significant progress for the teenager. Greenough was pipped for a medal in a sprint finish of the final in Oklahoma after placing second in qualifying, in the eighth round, quarterfinal and semifinal. He was pushed back to third at the first turn in the final but was edged on the line for the podium. His younger brother Jack finished eighth in the final after another strong display after finishing second in his quarterfinal and third in the semifinal. The 2023 under-23 world cup winner Rico Bearman, who has moved to the elite ranks this year, impressed with heat wins in qualifying, eighth round and quarterfinal in elite racing. He made a solid start in his semifinal but was blocked out on the second turn which cost him a top-four placing and a spot in his first elite final. Earlier fellow elite Michael Bias made it to the quarterfinals before he was eliminated. There was no fairytale return today for Tasman Wakelin after finishing on the podium on the first day. The Australian-based rider was again outstanding in the early rounds, and made a superb snap out of the gate in his semifinal. However his rear wheel slid out from under him, and he fell while leading, to end his competition. Wakelin, who has been out of the sport for nearly four years, finished on the podium on the first day in his return to top level BMX Racing, and has shown he will be a real factor at the world championships. Earlier Finn Cogan (East City) made it to the quarterfinals in the men’s under-23 racing; while Te Awamutu’s Brooke Penny (under-23) and Rotorua’s Megan Williams (elite) went out in the last chance rounds. Focus now goes on the UCI BMX Racing World Championships at Rock Hill, South Carolina in two weeks, which holds the additional status as the final qualifying event for selection to the Paris Olympic Games.

New Zealand driver Scott McLaughlin has put a difficult week behind him to win the latest IndyCar race, the Alabama Grand Prix. Only a few days ago McLaughlin,30 was disqualified from the season opener on a mechanical 'push to pass' technicality where he had placed third. LATEST HEADLINES: Pulse continue winning, Steel 21 losses Blues last-gasp try, Highlanders grind Kerr wins at Diamond League Shanghai Black Caps fall short in fifth T20 v Pakistan Phoenix finish regular season with big win To win in Alabama and defend his title at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham was a major boost and saw him lead from pole, his sixth of his career for 58 of the 90 laps. Throughout the race he once again tussled with team mate Will Power who was second across the line. It's definitely one of my best drives in terms of just execution and just knocking out the laps," McLaughlin said. Of the other kiwis in the race, Marcus Armstrong was ninth and Scott Dixon 15th. Although Dixon has lost the championship lead to Colton Herta and has dropped to fourth McLaughlin has moved from last up to ninth overall with Armstrong now 19th.

Kiwi 49erFX sailors Jo Aleh and Molly Meech, have claimed bronze at the French Olympic Week in Hyeres, their first medal at a major international regatta since teaming up two years ago. It also signifies progress, says Aleh, and with the Olympic Games now less than three months away, that is as invaluable as the bronze medals around their necks. Aleh and Meech finished third overall in a nine-boat women's skiff fleet when the scheduled medal race was cancelled due to extreme winds overnight (NZ time). The pair secured the podium spot with strong results across 14 qualifying races, including two race wins. LATEST HEADLINES: Pulse continue winning, Steel 21 losses Blues last-gasp try, Highlanders grind Kerr wins at Diamond League Shanghai Black Caps fall short in fifth T20 v Pakistan Phoenix finish regular season with big win Brumbies end Hurricanes unbeaten run Gold went to Dutch crew Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz, with Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler of Sweden taking out silver. It was only the second time Aleh and Meech had qualified for the medal race at a top regatta since joining forces in early 2022. The duo have just been selected for the seventh Olympics between them, they have been in a race against time to perfect their partnership in the boat. Olympic sailing starts on July 28 in Marseille. The Kiwis will enjoy a few days off before heading to Marseille, where they will be based for the rest of their build-up to the Games. Tom Saunders had to settle for fifth overall in a quality ILCA 7 fleet after his medal race, was abandoned. Saunders finished only nine points behind Germany's Philipp Buhl in third, with Brit Michael Beckett and Matt Wearn (Australia) first and second, respectively. Though the former world champion was pleased with his progress since finishing 10th at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma de Mallorca, Spain three weeks ago, he was ruing another sluggish start to the regatta. Following a short stint in New Zealand, Saunders will also continue his Olympic build-up in Marseille. Earlier, Josh Armit and Veerle ten Have both qualified for the medal series of the men's and women's windfoil competitions, while Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie narrowly missed out on a top 10 spot in the 49er event. McHardie and McKenzie were selected to the Olympic sailing team along with Armit, ten Have, Saunders, Aleh, Meech, Erica Dawson and Micah Wilkinson (Nacra 17). Still trying to book their spots on the start line in Marseille, are Greta Pilkington (ILCA 6), who impressed with her 16th place in Hyeres, as well as Lukas Walton-Keim (men's kitefoil) and Justina Kitchen (women's kitefoil). NEW ZEALAND SAILING RESULTS Results and standings from the 2024 French Olympic Week regatta in Hyeres, France: 49erFX fleet (9 boats) 1. Odile van Aanholt/Annette Duets (Ned) 4 2 2 5 1 1 2 4 (6) 3 5 4 1 2 - 36 points 2. Vilma Bobeck/Rebecca Netzler (Swe) (8) 5 5 1 5 2 6 5 1 1 2 3 2 1 - 39 pts 3. Jo Aleh/Molly Meech (NZ) 7 1 4 2 3 3 (9) 9 7 2 1 2 8 5 - 54 pts 49er fleet (30 boats) 1. Diego Botin/Florian Trittel (Esp) 5 (18) 10 4 3 9 1 1 2 3 8 5 1 12 - 64 pts 2. Dominik Buksak/Szymon Wierzbicki (Pol) 6 19 2 2 5 3 6 5 9 (22) 6 2 6 10 - 81 pts 3. Erwan Fischer/Clément Pequin (Fra) 1 20 12 1 16 (23) 5 8 3 1 2 1 10 9 - 89 pts 12. Isaac McHardie/Will McKenzie (NZ) 28 2 11 13 7 (BFD31) 4 15 15 15 10 9 5 14 - 148 pts 20. Campbell Stanton/Will McKenzie (NZ) 8 12 23 25 (28) 15 11 11 13 20 4 28 28 23 - 221 pts 23. Seb Menzies/George Lee Rush (NZ) 18 27 (29) 22 24 27 26 21 19 14 12 20 20 22 - 272 pts ILCA 6 fleet (69 boats) 1. Charlotte Rose (USA) 8 19 (23) 1 2 5 4 3 2 - 44 ptsd 2. Marit Bouwmeester (Ned) 1 10 7 3 4 3 (70BFD) 1 18 - 47 pts 3. Line Flem Hoest (Nor) 7 (42) 8 4 17 4 11 8 4 - 63 pts 16. Greta Pilkington (NZ) 24 5 25 25 13 10 20 31 (41) - 154 pts ILCA 7 fleet (68 boats) 1. Michael Beckett (GBR) 3 1 (18) 8 5 3 5 3 10 - 38 pts 2. Matt Wearn (Aus) 8 5 6 1 6 1 4 8 (9) - 39 pts 3. Philipp Buhl (Ger) 7 20 7 5 9 7 7 1 (27) - 63 pts 5. Tom Saunders (NZ) 15 (44) 1 18 4 6 8 15 5 - 72 pts 60. Caleb Armit (NZ) 48 46 63 52 49 (69BFD) 59 32 64 - 413 pts Women's windfoil fleet (25 boards) 1. Tamar Steinberg (Isr) (16) 1 (9) 1 1 3 8 8 1 1 - 22 pts 2. Mina Mobekk (Nor) 2 9 (18) (19) 2 2 1 1 2 - 17 pts 3. Palma Čargo (Cro) (14) (18) 5 6 4 11 5 5 1 2 3 - 36 pts 9. Veerle ten Have (NZ) 4 (15) (11) 11 3 1 11 11 6 - 41 pts 17. Stella Bilger (NZ) 15 17 3 16 13.25RDG 18 (21) (21) - 82.25 pts Men's windfoil fleet (35 boards) 1. Ethan Westera (Aru) (17) (15) 1 7 6 8 9 12 12 2 2 1 - 55 pts 2. Grae Morris (Aus) (27) 3 1 (5) 1 1 4 1 1 2 - 12 pts 3. Nacho Baltasar (Esp) (31) (19) 7 1 5 3 2 11 11 1 1 3 - 40 pts 8. Josh Armit (NZ) 5 1 5 (11) (9) 5 5 7 7 8BFD - 35 pts 22. Thomas Crook (NZ) 9 21 23 (37BFD) (37) 19 22 8 (24) 24 - 126 pts Women's kitefoil fleet (24 boards) 1. Jessie Kampman (Fra) (5) 2 (4) 3 3 2 (8) 2 1 1 3 1 3 1 - 21 pts 2. Eleanor Aldridge (GBR) 2 (3) (3) (5) 2 3 1 1 3 2 1 3 2 2 - 20 pts 3. Lauriane Nolot (Fra) 9 7 1 1 1 1 3 (16DNC) (25) (17) 2 2 6 3 - 33 pts 19. Lucy Bilger (NZ) 18 (19) 19 (23) 17 16 19 18 14 18 (20) 18 17 - 174 pts Men's kitefoil fleet (20 boards) 1. Maximilian Maeder (SGP) 1 (3) 1 1 2 (4) (5) 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 - 13 pts 2. Toni Vodisek (Slo) 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 (12DNC) (21) (12) 2 2 2 2 - 17 pts 3. Axel Mazella (Fra) 3 (7) 3 (8) 4 2 3 4 5 3 3 3 (21DNC) 3 - 33 pts 11. Lukas Walton-Keim (NZ) (16) 10 13 6 (14) 10 11 (14) 7 8 10 5 8 - 88 pts Mixed 470 (28 boats, Last Chance Regatta) 1. Giacomo Ferrari/Alessandra Dubbini (Ita) 2 3 3 1 1 1 5 1 2 (7) 4 - 23 pts 2. Elena Berta/Bruno Festo (Ita) 1 (13) 1 2 2 2 6 2 3 8 16 - 43 pts 3. Tina Mrak/Jakob Bozic (Slo) 3 (9) 7 4 6 9 4 6 1 3 2 - 45 pts 11. Derek Scott/Rebecca Hume (NZ) 13 8 8 13 (24) 8 8 20 12 13 - 103 pts

The ACT Brumbies have ended the unbeaten run of the Hurricanes with an upset in Canberra 27-19 in Round 10 of Super Rugby Pacific. It was the sixth match dating back to 2017 that the Hurricanes have lacked a win from the Australian capital. It came from powerful running and a clinical display from their forward pack helped the Brumbies race to an early 24-5 lead they would never relinquish, handing the visitors their first loss of the season. First-five Noah Lolesio directed play confidently as his side withstood the Hurricanes' second-half fightback, with his two penalty goals giving them the breathing room. LATEST HEADLINES: Tall Ferns head to Mexico for WC qualifying Tall Ferns star Leger-Walker to UCLA Bruins Crusaders crush Rebels, Chiefs top Waratahs Taranaki Airs pull away late from Whai in NBL NZ White Sox squad named for Canada Cup It was the Brumbies' first win of the season against a top-four side, having fallen short against the Chiefs and being well and truly done by the Blues last week. However, this week the Brumbies delivered the best 20 minutes of their campaign to date and raced to a 21-5 lead. A well-timed cut-out pass from Ryan Lonergan got Lolesio the opening points in the corner. There was a quick response from Hurricanes prop Xavier Numia crossing the line. Content with powering the ball up the middle of the park via their bruising carriers, centre Tamati Tua burst through the line to score, before winger Ollie Sapsford capped a beautifully worked team move for their third try. Numia's second in the 32nd minute kept the Hurricanes within 12 points at halftime, and All Black midfielder Jordie Barrett benefited when his side finally found some space for their backs to work in, scoring early in the second half. Tua was at his best while returning Wallabies prop Allan Alaalatoa played 40 minutes in his first game since rupturing his achilles against the All Blacks in July. Reserve halfback Richard Judd made an important tackled to keep the Hurricanes in the game holding up Brumbies lock Tom Hooper as he looked to crash over and break the stalemate that ensued over the rest of the second 40. But otherwise the fast start was too much for the Canes who now look forward to hosting the Waratahs next Friday. ACT Brumbies 27 (Noah Lolesio, Tamati Tua, Ollie Sapsford tries; Noah Lolesio 3 con, 2 pen) Hurricanes 19 (Xavier Numia 2, Jordie Barrett tries; Brett Cameron 2 con). HT: 24-12

The Wellington Phoenix have capped their record-breaking 2023-24 A-League regular season with a milestone victory. The Nix beat Macarthur FC 3-0 in front of 15,428 fans at Sky Stadium in Wellington thanks to first half goals from Kosta Barbarouses and Tim Payne and a stoppage time penalty from Oskar Zawada. It’s the Nix’s 15th win of the season – the most the team have recorded in a campaign, and takes Wellington’s points haul to 53, seven more than their previous best. LATEST HEADLINES: Brumbies end Hurricanes unbeaten run Tall Ferns head to Mexico for WC qualifying Tall Ferns star Leger-Walker to UCLA Bruins Crusaders crush Rebels, Chiefs top Waratahs Taranaki Airs pull away late from Whai in NBL NZ White Sox squad named for Canada Cup “This probably won’t sink it for a while with me,” Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano told media post-match. “I’m very proud of everyone that’s worked here. From day one we’ve always had big obstacles placed in front of us. “We have a good club structure, good people [and] we’ve just got on with it. “It’s been no nonsense and the fact that we’ve come so far is testament to everyone.” The record points tally might not be enough for the Phoenix to win the Premiers’ Plate, with Central Coast Mariners beating Newcastle Jets 3-1 in their penultimate round-robin match to remain just a point off the lead and ensuring the premiership will be decided on Wednesday night. Central Coast need just a draw from their final regular season match against Adelaide United on Wednesday to claim the premiership and the Nix are all but resigned to finishing second on the ladder. Italiano made two changes to the XI which started last week’s 1-1 draw against Newcastle Jets with Nicholas Pennington and David Ball replacing Mo Al-Taay and Youstin Salas, who were named amongst the substitutes. The Phoenix had some success down the left flank in the opening exchanges, with Sam Sutton and Ben Old linking well. Sutton volleyed over the bar in the seventh minute and Old registered the first shot on target moments later with a curling effort with his less-favoured right foot that was comfortably held by Macarthur ‘keeper Filip Kurto. Nix forward David Ball found the back of the net in the 13th minute after Kosta Barbarouses slipped in behind the visitors’ defence, but the goal was rightly ruled out for offside. Barbarouses timed his run expertly nine minutes later when Nicholas Pennington found the veteran forward with a perfectly-weighted ball over the top of Macarthur’s last defender. He rounded Kurto and slotted home into the empty net to send the crowd into raptures. Their joy was dampened soon after as Alou Kuol scored to give Central Coast a 1-0 lead at Newcastle. It was Barbarouses’ milestone 93rd A-League men’s goal, taking him to fourth on the all-time list and making him the highest scoring New Zealander in competition history. Tim Payne doubled Wellington’s lead shortly before the half hour mark with a thumping header after Old stood up a cross to the back post. There were few goalscoring opportunities for the remainder of the half but the Phoenix held a deserved 2-0 lead at the break. The crowd was brought to their feet again early in the second half as news spread about another goal in Newcastle, this time by Jets striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, drawing them level with the Mariners. There was little goalmouth action in the 15 minutes after halftime at Sky Stadium, with Macarthur grabbing a greater share of possession without testing Alex Paulsen in Wellington’s goal. Sutton looked the likeliest for the Nix, first curling a right-footed shot narrowly wide of goal in the 70th minute before seeing a volley deflect just off target seven minutes later. The Mariners reclaimed the lead against Newcastle shortly after the Yellow Fever took their shirts off and added a third to win their match 3-1. Oskar Zawada had the final say at Sky Stadium, winning a penalty and then converting from the spot in stoppage time to complete a 3-0 win for the Phoenix. As well as awaiting the result of Central Coast’s final match on Wednesday night, the Wellington Phoenix will await their semi-final opponent with the elimination finals next weekend.

Success for New Zealand at the Monaco E-Prix with a kiwi one-two finish as Mitch Evans and NIck Cassidy dominated the race. For Evans, 29 it was finally a win after previously being on the podium on three previous occasions. LATEST HEADLINES: Phoenix finish regular season with big win Brumbies end Hurricanes unbeaten run Tall Ferns head to Mexico for WC qualifying Tall Ferns star Leger-Walker to UCLA Bruins Crusaders crush Rebels, Chiefs top Waratahs The pair hit the front - Evans from Cassidy - on Lap 11, jumping moving ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne who had made it by polesitter and the race's initial leader Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) in the early stages. From then on the New Zealand Jaguar team mates were relatively settled as they then worked together to take the one-two at the finish line. “We knew it was going to be a tough race, we knew it was going to be all about the strategy around the attack modes," said Evans. "Nick and I started side by side, that kind of helped things as the race evolved. We had a rough game plan going into the race, but I really owe this win to Nick, he really helped me when it mattered. I helped him when it mattered as well, but I am the one that has come out on top. I really appreciate the team player he was today.” Cassidy is second overall on the championship points table on 95, seven behind Germany's Pascal Wehrlein with Evans in fifth. The next series of races is May 11 in Berlin, Germany.

New Zealand's world indoor champion Hamish Kerr has won the high jump event at the latest Diamond League meeting in Shanghai/Suzhou. His best jump of 2.31 metres was ahead of Qatari Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barsham by two centimetres in second with American Vernon Turner third at 2.27m. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Caps fall short in fifth T20 v Pakistan Phoenix finish regular season with big win Brumbies end Hurricanes unbeaten run Tall Ferns head to Mexico for WC qualifying Tall Ferns star Leger-Walker to UCLA Bruins Twenty-seven-year-old Kerr tried with two attempts at 2.33m and one at 2.35m but was unsuccessful. Hi jump of 2.31m is 5cm short of his personal best. In the women's javelin Tori Peeters finished seventh throwing a season-best 59.11 metres. Japan's Haruka Kitaguichi won with a distance of 62.97m. Maddi Wesche finished sixth in the women's shot put final. Doha is the next Diamond League stop. It starts May 10th.

Cambridge BMX rider Tasman Wakelin made a successful return to the sharp end of the sport with a podium finish at the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Tulsa, Oklahoma. . After nearly four years out of the sport, Wakelin made his return in spectacular fashion, grabbing second place in the men’s under-23 final at the penultimate round of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup in USA. Now based in Australia where he trains with leading Australian Isaac Kennedy, Wakelin led the way for the nine-strong New Zealand riders, qualifying third fastest and then winning his eighth round, quarterfinal and semifinal races. LATEST HEADLINES: Kerr wins at Diamond League Shanghai Black Caps fall short in fifth T20 v Pakistan Phoenix finish regular season with big win Brumbies end Hurricanes unbeaten run Tall Ferns head to Mexico for WC qualifying He grabbed the holeshot with an excellent gate in the final, but was forced wide at the turn by eventual winner Jordan Callum (Australia) but he fought on strongly for second on the podium to mark an excellent return to the sport. Bennett Greenough remains second overall in the under-23 men despite both he and his younger brother Jack being taken out in separate incidents in their semifinal. Rico Bearman and Leila Walker had strong performances, just missing out on places in the grand final. Bearman, the Speedco professional, was confident after his first USPro podium last weekend, winning his quarterfinal impressively but was cut off on the first and second turns to thwart his chances of a place in the final. Walker, in her first season in elite ranks, made it through to the semifinal in the elite women after impressive racing, but was edged out in the sprint finish and had to settle for fifth, with the top four progressing to the final. Fellow elite Michael Bias, still recovering from his French Cup victory and travel across the Atlantic, went out in the eighth round, as did Rotorua’s Megan Williams in elite women, missing by one spot in the last chance round. Brooke Penny (Te Awamutu) and Finn Cogan (East City) also missed out in qualifying. The UCI BMX Racing World Cup concludes with the final round at the same roofed facility in Tulsa, with most riders remaining in USA for the world championships in two weeks in South Carolina.