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The Wellington Phoenix have taken another major step towards claiming their maiden A-League title. The Phoenix have beaten Brisbane Roar 1-0 at Wellington's Sky Stadium to move six points clear at the top of the ladder with four rounds remaining in the premiership race. Bozhidar Kraev’s goal just 76 seconds into the match proved to be the difference between the two sides, with the Nix holding on for the final nine minutes plus time added on after their captain Alex Rufer was controversially sent off. The result takes Wellington’s points tally to 46, equal with their best-ever return from the 2014-15 season. “I’m ecstatic because the international break is very skewed,” Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano said. “I don’t like it. The fact that you don’t have a game and the fact that we had such a large chunk of our squad away, and they were coming from the other side of the world [meant] I had essentially one day to prep. “I had to make some big calls on players, not starting them, because I didn’t want to have a dynamic where I had five, six players that were gassed all playing at once. “I’m delighted that we got the three points, like any other game. One thing I can safely say is that was our target for the season, to get 46 points. After the Newcastle game some of the boys spoke about that. I’m happy, so now every other point we get is a bonus.” Italiano felt Rufer’s sending off for standing on Roar midfielder Henry Hore was “a bit harsh”, with the Wellington’s captain red-carded following intervention from the video assistant referee. “I don’t want to speak too early, but I don’t understand how else he’s supposed to go for the ball. “He’s won the ball the first time, he’s won the ball the second time and on the third attempt the player’s on the ground and he’s just going for the ball. “I just don’t understand how the referee or VAR can establish intent in that split second. If there was a longer period where the player had to think about it I understand, but not in those moments.” Italiano made three changes to the XI which started the 2-1 win over Sydney FC prior to the international break, with Youstin Salas, David Ball and Mo Al-Taay coming into the side for injured defenders Tim Payne and Isaac Hughes, and All Whites attacking midfielder Ben Old, who was named amongst the substitutes. The Phoenix took the lead after 26 uninterrupted passes from kick-off, with Kraev providing the final touch to steer Sam Sutton’s cutback past Roar goalkeeper Macklin Freke just 76 seconds into the match. Brisbane spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to equalise just two minutes later when the Nix coughed up possession inside their half, with Nikola Mileusnic curling his shot wide. Brisbane looked the more threatening side after going behind and Alex Paulsen had to make a few saves, the pick of which came in the 20th minute when he parried away Keegan Jelacic’s shot from the penalty spot. Freke was next tested 11 minutes out from halftime when he punched away Kraev’s powerful effort from the top left corner of the Roar box. Moments later, Paulsen got a strong hand to deny Florin Berenguer from drawing Brisbane level. It was the final goalmouth action of the first half, with the Nix perhaps fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men on the strike of halftime. David Ball was yellow-carded for a high foot that caught Roar captain Tom Aldred, but then the video assistant referee intervened. After a long deliberation the VAR determined a yellow card was sufficient. The Phoenix made a bright start to the second half and Kraev came close to doubling their lead in the 49th minute when he headed a Salas cross narrowly wide of the far post. Macklin Freke made a good save shortly after to deny Mo Al-Taay. The Nix got their bodies in the way of Brisbane’s best opportunities, the best of which fell to Berenguer in the 53rd minute. Kosta Barbarouses found the back of the net a handful of minute late after slipping in behind the Roar defence, turning Kai Trewin inside-out and then slotting past Freke. Unfortunately for Barbarouses, the assistant referee flagged for offside and the VAR, after a long look, upheld the decision. Ben Old, who came off the bench before the hour mark, was denied by Freke in the 66th minute, with Brisbane’s ‘keeper getting a strong hard to Old’s thumping right-footed effort. The next flashpoint came a dozen minutes later when Alex Rufer stood on a prone Henry Hore while winning possession. Rufer was initially shown a yellow card, but the VAR intervened and the referee decided to upgrade his decision to red. The alleged foul happened just outside the box and Roar midfielder stood Jay O’Shea over the free-kick. O’Shea curled his shot up and over the wall, but Alex Paulsen was able to acrobatically push it over the bar. Brisbane had most of the ball for the remainder of the match but were unable to break down the resolute Wellington defence and create any goalscoring opportunities. Instead the Nix threatened on the counter, with substitute Oskar van Hattum and Youstin Salas both forcing saves from Macklin Freke in second half stoppage time. Bozhidar Kraev also fizzed a free-kick over Freke’s goal shortly before the fulltime whistle blew. The Phoenix will quickly turn their attentions to Saturday’s potential premiership decider against second-placed Central Coast Mariners in Gosford (kick-off 7.30pm NZ Time). Central Coast will first play Melbourne City on Tuesday night in a catch-up match. Wellington Phoenix 1 (Bozhidar Kraev 2') Brisbane Roar 0. HT: 1-0

Kiwi golfer Steven Alker has missed a chance for another tournament victory on the PGA Tour Champions. Alker finished bogey-bogey in the third and final round of The Galleri Classic in Rancho Mirage, California, on Sunday (Monday NZ Time) to end tied for second, one stroke behind winner South African Retief Goosen. Tied with Goosen coming down the par-five 18th, both found the water with their second shots. After drops, Alker was only able to make bogey, while Goosen got up-and-down, rolling in an eight-foot par putt for victory. Earlier in the round, Alker birdied three of the first four holes to jump into contention. Another birdie at the par-five ninth saw him make the turn in the lead at 14-under. Seven straight pars still had him ahead by one, before three-putting on the par-three 17th green and finding more misfortune on the closing hole. Alker had made just one bogey in the first 52 holes at Mission Hill Country Club's Dinah Shore Tournament Course. Alker, 52, the Tour’s player of the year two seasons ago, was trying to win for the ninth time in only his 58th career start on the Champions Tour. Already this season he had won the season-opener in Hawaii, and he was on the verge of winning for the third time in his last six starts, dating to November’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Arizona. Alker was a runner-up for the second consecutive year at The Galleri Classic, shooting a final-round two-under 70. He tied for second along with Alex Cejka and Ricardo Gonzalez. Alker, who leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings, said afterward he did not make many mistakes tee to green, but certainly could have converted a few more of his birdie looks to make a difference. As for going for it at 18? He thought he hit the shot. “I had a super lie, could almost hit driver off the lie in the semi-rough there, that's how good the lie was,” Alker said. “If I hit rescue, then I flush it and it's gone through the green. So just got a little high on the face, a little grassy. It got over. I kind of flew the front, but just got maybe a little unlucky.” On the LPGA Tour, Lydia Ko slid to a share of 13th after the final round of the Ford Championship in Arizona on Sunday (Monday NZT). Inside the top-10 going into the weekend, Ko could only manage similar two-under 70s over the weekend, finishing at 15-under, five strokes back of the winner, American Nelly Korda. Ko had gone 52 holes at the Seville Golf and Country Club before her first bogey of the week at the par-three 17th. She closed out her round with a birdie, her third in the last six holes, to get to 13-under. The 26-year-old's final round started with a bogey, before back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth holes, followed by 12 straight pars and a birdie at the closing hole. Ko remains second in the LPGA's Race to CME Globe standings, behind Korda, finishing outside the top-10 for the first time in five tournaments in 2024. Meanwhile, Ryan Fox finished in a tie for 78th at the PGA Tour's Houston Open, two weeks out from his second Masters appearances. The 36-year-old closed out his final round on Sunday (Monday NZT) at the Memorial Park Golf Course with back-to-back birdies, finishing with a one-over 71 to end the week at five-over, 17 shots behind the winner, German Stephan Jaeger. Fox just made the cut at one-over after the second round, before carding a three-over 73 in the third round on Saturday (Sunday NZT), which included four birdie, five bogeys and a double-bogey. His final round featured four birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey. The world No 49 has made just three of seven cuts on the PGA Tour in 2024, with a best finish of T35 in early March.

The White Ferns have let England off the hook to drop the opening one-day international at Wellington's Basin Reserve. England recovered from the brink of collapse to earn a four-wicket win in the opening ODI on Monday, with Amy Jones and Charlie Dean coming to the rescue. Chasing just 208 for victory, the tourists were teetering at 79-6 in the 17th over, before a resurrection to cruise home with 8.4 overs remaining and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Jones (92 not out from 83 balls) was the stand-out for England, combining with Dean (42 not out from 70) for an unbroken 130-run partnership for the seventh wicket to rescue her team's stumbling chase. Captain Melie Kerr - filling in for the injured Sophie Devine – was the pick of the NZ bowlers, finishing with 2-46, but with the visitors on the ropes, White Ferns bowlers were too loose with line and length. Earlier, England stemmed a fast start by the New Zealanders to restrict them to 207 in 48.2 overs. It was a familiar story for the White Ferns, who once again made a strong start until dramatically falling off the pace once the top-order departed. Opener Suzie Bates made her way to 50, before being caught behind, with the Ferns still well-placed at 90-1 after 21 overs. Bernadine Bezuidenhout and Kerr (24) steered them to 148-3 in the 35th over, but Kerr's departure sparked the regular fall of wickets and a below-par total. The second match of the series takes place at Hamilton's Seddon Park on Thursday.

The 3x3 Tall Ferns have earned silver medals – their second in two years – at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore. The New Zealand team of Sharne Pupuke-Robati, Ella Fotu, Esra McGoldrick and Lauryn Hippolite fell 18-13 to the defending champion Australia Gangurrus again in the women's final on Sunday. Pupuke-Robati, who averaged 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds, again earned All-Tournament team honours for her efforts, after scoring 26 points in five games. New Zealand's only losses came against Australia, also losing 22-9 in their Pool D game on Saturday. Ella Fotu had nine points and Pupuke-Robati eight points in a 17-10 win over India to advance to the knockout phase. The Tall Ferns advanced to the final after thrilling one-point wins over Japan in the quarterfinals and Chinese Taipei in the semifinals. Pupuke-Robati and Fotu each had five points in the 15-14 win over Japan, with Fotu sealing the win with a two-pointer in the final minute after New Zealand went on a 9-2 run in the middle stage. Fotu put up six points, six boards and four assists in a 16-15 victory over Chinese Taipei as the Tall Ferns scored four late points. The 3x3 Tall Blacks could not match the Tall Ferns medal-winning ways, falling to Iran in the semifinals and Mongolia in the playoff for third. The team of Tai Wynyard, Nikau McCullough, Dom Kelman-Poto and Chris McIntosh needed overtime to defeat Malaysia 21-19 before routing Qatar 22-3 in Pool D games on Friday, with McIntosh scoring a game-high nine points. Wynyard had a spectacular 10-point, 16-rebound double-double in New Zealand's 21-17 win over Thailand in the quarterfinals, before losing to Iran 21-11 and Mongolia 21-18. Wynyard went 8-for-8 for his eight points against Mongolia. Despite finishing in the top-10 in total points, points average, shooting percentage, total rebounds and rebounds average, Wynyard missed out on All-Tournament selection. Next up for the 3x3 Tall Blacks is the FIBA Universality Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1 in Hong Kong from April 12-14. New Zealand will face Egypt, Latvia and Mongolia in Pool B, needing to win the eight-team tournament to qualify for Paris 2024.

The Wellington Saints' quest for a 13th National Basketball League (NBL) championship, in their 40th season, began in crushing style. In head coach Zico Coronel's return the NBL, the Saints routed the Auckland Tuatara 110-80 at Wellington's TSB Arena on Sunday afternoon, with three players scoring 20 points or more. Tall Blacks forward Hyrum Harris scored a game-high 28 points (10/16 FG, 7/8 FT), along with 11 rebounds and five assists, while national teammate Tohi Smith-Milner produced 22 points (6/10 FG, 4/7 3pt, 6/6 FT) and six boards. Australian imports Ben Ayre and Lat Mayen were equally impressive, with Ayre going for 20 points (7/18 FG, 4/6 FT) and 12 assists, and Mayen 19 points (6/8 FG, 2/3 3pt, 5/5 FT) and five rebounds There was also a nice cameo performance off the bench from New Zealand under-16 representative Troy Plumtree, who contributed nine points and five boards. Former Tall Black and NBL MVP Corey Webster led the Tuatara with 18 points (7/18 FG, 3/8 3pt), seven assists and four rebounds, and there were double-digits efforts from Reuben Te Rangi, Rob Loe and Cam Gliddon. Te-Rangi scored 17 points (7/14 FG, 2/4 3pt) and four boards, Loe 14 points (5/9 FG, 3/4 3pt), six rebounds and five assists, and Gliddon 13 points (3/8 FG, 2/7 3pt, 5/5 FT) and five rebounds but it was a game to forget for last season’s finalists. Mayen, the former University of Nebraska forward, piled in 15 first-quarter points and when 17 year-old Plumtree converted a break-away layup the home side were 28-17 ahead at the first break. Smith-Milner landed a triple and Loe replied in kind but the Saints lead had grown to 35-21 early in the second period. That margin was even greater when guard Rangimarie Dougall-Mita landed from deep and over twenty when Harris took his personal tally into double figures. Loe and Webster briefly provided the Tuatara with some momentum but it was a half dominated by the Saints who, in front of a big home crowd, took a 58-36 lead into the locker room. The Tuatara kept the margin in the low twenties in the third period but any thoughts of a comeback from the visitors were quickly extinguished as the Saints, courtesy of Plumtree, Ayre and Harris, scored the first 10 points of the final spell. From there the Saints cruised to the finish line. The only sour note on an afternoon of delight for Saints supporters was the sight of Mayen retiring to the locker room with a shoulder injury midway through the third quarter. The Saints face the Nelson Giants on the road in Week 2 on Saturday (tip-off 4pm), while the Tuatara host the Taranaki Airs on Thursday (tip-off 7.30pm). In Sunday's other game, the Franklin Bulls secured a 86-85 win over the Nelson Giants at the daunting Trafalgar Centre in their season-opener, with just enough defence in the final seconds to seal the road win. New recruits Sam Timmins and Ethan Rusbatch were joined by fresh-off-the-plane import Luther Muhammad, who had arrived from Finland less than 20 hours before the game. The American forward stuffed the stat-line with a week-high 34 points (12/24 FG, 9/9 FT), five assists, four rebounds and three steals in a sensational NBL debut, while Dru-Leo Leusogi-Ape had 17 points (7/12 FG, 2/3 3pt) and four steals. Timmins managed 12 points (6/15 FG), 17 rebounds, three steals and three blocks, and Rusbatch 10 points (4/10 FG, 2/7 3pt). The home side were paced by 22 points (8/13 FG, 5/12 FT), 10 rebounds and two blocks, and Dan Fotu's 19 points (8/15 FG), four assists and five boards. Nick Davidson produced 15 points (6/11 FG, 2/3 3pt) and two steals, while point guard Alex McNaught put up 13 points (3/8 FG, 6/7 FT), four assists, five rebounds and three steals. Muhammad exploded for 15 points in the first quarter, as the Bulls used the size of Timmins to their advantage, doubly so when the biggest Giant, Dan Fotu, found himself in early foul trouble. Trailing by five at halftime, the Giants saw that deficit double early in the third as they could not buy a bucket, but the endeavour of import Dan Grida kept them in it until the shots started to fall, with Grida and Fotu finding ways to expose the Bulls defence late in the third. Fotu put an exclamation mark on the comeback late in the third with a thunderous dunk over KC Nwafor as the Giants took the lead for the first time. The Giants extended their lead early in the fourth, as the energy started to pump around the Trafalgar Centre. Leusogi-Ape, however, had different ideas. Alongside Muhammed, Leusogi-Ape put on an exhilarating display of driving and finishing at the hoop to get the Bulls back into the contest. The lead flipped back and forth throughout the final minutes, with Fotu giving the Giants a lead with just a second remaining on the shot clock, only for Muhammad to answer back with 4.1 seconds left. Fotu could not get the would-be game-winner to drop, and the Bulls began snuck out of Nelson with the W. The Bulls are in action again on Sunday (tip-off 4pm) against the defending champion Canterbury Rams, while the Giants welcome the Saints to the Trafalgar Centre. Wellington Saints 110 (Hyrum Harris 28, Tohi Smith-Milner 22, Ben Ayre 20, Lat Mayen 19) Auckland Tuatara 80 (Corey Webster 18, Reuben Te Rangi 17, Rob Loe 14, Cam Gliddon 13). 1Q: 28-17, HT: 58-36, 3Q: 83-60 Franklin Bulls 86 (Luther Muhammad 34, Dru-Leo Leusogi-Ape 17, Sam Timmins 12, Ethan Rusbatch 10) Nelson Giants 85 (Dan Grida 22, Dan Fotu 19, Nick Davidson 15, Alex McNaught 13). 1Q: 25-21, HT: 51-46, 3Q: 67-70

The NZ Warriors have gone back-to-back at home after outclassing the Knights 20-12 at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart on Easter Sunday. Despite losing five-eighth Luke Metcalf in the early stages of the match, the Warriors did not skip a beat in attack, running in two early tries to lead for the majority of the 80 minutes. With Roger Tuivasa-Sheck returning to the No 1 role for the first time since 2021, the 30-year-old could give Andrew Webster a new selection headache, showcasing his speed and footwork in a 283-run metre and seven tackle break performance. The Warriors suffered an early blow with Metcalf leaving the field with in just the 10th minute, but the home side showed great resilience, scoring just six minutes later when Shaun Johnson showed some slick hands to send Jackson Ford over from close range. The home side were in again just three minutes later when Wayde Egan exploded out of dummy half before finding Metcalf's replacement, Chanel Harris-Tavita in support. Star forward Tyson Frizell steadied the ship for the Knights in the 37th minute when he picked up a Tyson Gamble grubber and carried the ball over the line to reduce the deficit 12-6 at the break. The Warriors exploded out of the blocks in the second half and extended their lead with Harris-Tavita punting a cross field kick for Marcelo Montoya to leap out for and score. Johnson's conversion made it 18-6. A Jayden Brailey offside penalty handed the Warriors a chance to slot a penalty goal and extend their lead 20-6 with less than nine minutes to play. Adam O'Brien's side refused to lie down and came up with a try through Best off a perfectly weighted grubber from Kalyn Ponga to make it 20-12 but that's as far as the visitors would come to reducing the deficit. "It was a grind, I thought we scrambled really well off the back of some errors and line breaks but we found a way to defend it. If you concede one try each half, you are going to go a long way and win a lot of games so I was happy with how we dug in deep," said Warriors coach Andrew Webster. "I think Roger learned plenty tonight. He feels like the NRL is a different beast since he left it and he hasn't done a lot of reps at fullback so I was proud. Such a cool thing to have a guy whose played a lot of fullback in his career and he's nailing his role at centre and then he comes in at fullback and he's reliable." The Warriors head to Sydney for the first time for 2024 on Saturday (kick-off 5pm NZ Time) to face the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who will be looking to back up their first win of the season in Round 4. NZ Warriors 20 (Jackson Ford, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Marcelo Montoya tries; Shaun Johnson 3 con, pen) Newcastle Knights 12 (Tyson Frizell, Bradman Best tries; Kalyn Ponga 2 con). HT: 12-6

Canberra United have handed the Wellington Phoenix Women their ninth one-goal defeat of the 2023-24 A-League Women season. United have beaten the Phoenix 1-0 in their penultimate round match at McKellar Park in Canberra.Golden boot leader Michelle Heyman was ultimately the difference between the two sides, with the Matilda scoring her 15th goal of the season with 12 minutes remaining. Phoenix head coach Paul Temple said it was a tired performance from his side. “It’s been a massive few weeks for us going back to leading into the Perth game,” Temple said post-match.“[Being] in these must-win scenarios takes a lot of mental energy, a lot of physical energy this week with three games in a week, and travel as well. It took its toll. “After finding out our [finals] fate last night, I think it sucked the life out of us a little bit and we weren’t able to respond in the way we all wanted to, which is a real shame.” Wellington’s finals hopes were extinguished on Saturday night when Western Sydney Wanderers beat Western United 3-1 to put the top six out of the Phoenix’s reach. “Everyone is disappointed and gutted with how it’s finished for us in terms of making the playoffs. I think that’s a hard thing to come to terms with and so quickly have to turn around and play. “We talked about how we wanted to respond. We wanted to come out and be on fire, we wanted to come out and show what we can do, [and] we wanted to win these last two games of the season and put ourselves in the best finish possible. “All the intentions were good, and the energy of the group was good this morning and I think we were all on the same page. “But it was a very hot day, and the game became too much for us. “We didn’t finish off the chances we were creating in the first half or the first 20 minutes of the second half and ultimately the difference in the whole game was a top-quality finish from a top-quality player, who’s obviously been a star in this league consistently. “It’s a shame. We obviously were wanting to finish in the best way possible and it’s pretty gutting not to be able to do that.” Temple made two changes to the XI which started Wednesday’s 4-0 home win over Adelaide United, with Hope Breslin and Daisy Brazendale coming into the side for Alyssa Whinham and Kate Taylor, respectively. Academy graduate Liv Ingham was named amongst the substitutes for the first time, having been out of football for a year with an ACL injury. Phoenix had the better of the possession and chances in the first half but were unable to test Chloe Lincoln in Canberra’s goal. The Nix should have at least called the Canberra ‘keeper into action in the 13th minute, when Michaela Foster delivered a threatening right-wing free-kick. Unfortunately for Wellington Emma Main was unable to make a proper connection from six yards out and her attempted header went wide of goal. Main was a constant menace down the hosts’ left-hand side, and she created another gilt-edged chance for the Phoenix 10 minutes later. This time Mariana Speckmaier nodded the winger’s pinpoint cross wide of goal, again from six yards out. Brazendale registered Wellington’s first shot on target soon after when she had a go from the edge of the box, but it was straight at Lincoln, who comfortably held on to the attempt on goal. Canberra only had one shot of note in the first half an hour and that was partially blocked by the Nix defence. Foster’s delivery again caused the hosts problems in the 33rd minute, this time from a right-wing corner. Canberra allowed the ball to bounce in their box but ultimately managed to clear the danger. They had three of the final four shots of the first half, but none of them called Phoenix goalkeeper Rylee Foster into action. Main was also off target when she unleashed an audacious effort from distance five minutes from halftime, after again beating her defender one-on-one. There was little goalmouth action to start the second half and Temple responded by making a triple-change in the 57th minute, bringing on Alyssa Whinham, Michaela Robertson and Zoe McMeeken in place of Brazendale, Speckmaier and Tiana Jaber. Robertson’s first touch was a shot. Unfortunately, she mishit her attempt on goal after some good lead-up play from Isabel Cox. The game really opened up after the substitutions and became a more end-to-end contest. Main delivered a great cross moments after Robertson’s effort, but it just eluded Cox’s head and was grabbed by Chloe Lincoln in Canberra’s goal. The Phoenix forwards looked to combine again in the 64th minute when Main slipped a well-weighted pass through for Cox. The American managed to toe it goalward, but Lincoln was able to just get a hand to the shot and push it around the post. The hosts too had their chances after Wellington’s changes, but Rylee Foster wasn’t required to make any saves of note. Temple made his final change with 20 minutes remaining, bringing on Liv Ingham to make her long-awaited A-League debut, with the impressive Emma Main making way. Canberra captain Michelle Heyman broke the deadlock in the 78th minute, clinically heading a left-wing cross from Nickoletta Flannery past a sprawling Foster and into the far corner. The opportunities started drying up for the Nix, with their third match in eight days catching up with them. Canberra closed out the game to secure just their fourth win of the season and hand the Phoenix their 10th road defeat. The Wellington Phoenix return home on Monday before quickly turning their attentions to their final round match against Western Sydney Wanderers at Porirua Park on Saturday. Canberra United 1 (Michelle Heyman 78') Wellington Phoenix Women 0. HT: 0-0

The Hurricanes rolled to six straight victories to open the Super Rugby Pacific season but the latest win may have come at a big cost. All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard suffered a potential season-ending knee injury in the second half of the Canes' 47-12 domination of the Highlanders at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday night. Roigard, who was expected to take over from retired Aaron Smith in the ABs No 9 jersey, went down with a suspected dislocated kneecap. Further tests on Monday will reveal the extent of the injury. The lively halfback scored before halfback to put the Hurricanes up 26-0, after prop Xavier Numia, loose forward Peter Lakai and hooker Asafo Aumua had scored earlier five-pointers. Roigard also made a burst in the 10th minute that resulted in Highlanders fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens being yellow-carded at the next ruck and ultimate Numia's opening try. Any visions the Highlanders had of a comeback in the second half were immediately dismissed when Josh Moorby picked off Rhys Patchell's pass and sprinted 50m to make it 33 unanswered points. The Highlanders finally got on the board minutes later when Folau Fakatava darted over under the posts, before TJ Perenara, who replaced Roigard in the 58th minute, crossed to restore the big lead. A quick-tap and run from Billy Harmon helped set up a try for Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens in the 76th minute, but the Hurricanes had the final say when replacement lock Justin Sangster grabbed an intercept and marched 20m to score. The victory improved the Canes' record to 6-0-0, moving to 27 points, five ahead of the Blues and ACT Brumbies. The Hurricanes and Highlanders, at 2-0-4 and barely holding onto a top-eight spot, both sit out Round 7 with byes. Earlier in the day, the Blues dominated Moana Pasifika in the Battle of Auckland, with All Blacks wing Mark Tele'a scoring a hat-trick in the 47-8 rout. It was a unique situation for the Blues as the away team at Eden Park but they looked comfortable as they dismantled former coach Tana Umaga’s side. The onslaught started in the 12th minute when wing Tele’a crossed, before first-five Stephen Perofeta strolled over the line through some soft defence. The Blues continued to roll when wing Caleb Clarke sprinted away for their third try of the afternoon after Hoskins Sotutu broke the line. Bryce Heem made it three tries in 12 minutes as the hosts had little answer. Sione Havili Talitui crossed just before the break to give Moana some hope before the Blues ran away with the match in the second half. It started in the 58th minute when halfback Finlay Christie backed up a promising raid from Cole Forbes before Tele’a got his second. The wing capped off the win with his third as Sotutu put him over to seal the dominant win. The victory lifted the Blues to 5-0-1 and 22 points, above the Chiefs and temporarily into the top spot before the Hurricanes and Brumbies played later on Saturday. In Round 7, the Blues host the Western Force at Eden Park on Friday (kick-off 7.05pm), while Moana Pasifika head to Hamilton to face the Chiefs at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday (kick-off 7.05pm). Hurricanes 47 (Xavier Numia, Peter Lakai, Asafo Aumua, Cam Roigard, Josh Moorby, TJ Perenara, Justin Sangster tries; Brett Cameron 4 con, Jordie Barrett 2 con) Highlanders 12 (Folau Fakatava, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens tries; Sam Gilbert con). HT: 26-0 Blues 47 (Mark Tele'a 3, Stephen Perofeta, Caleb Clarke, Bryce Heem, Finlay Christie tries; Stephen Perofeta 6 con) Moana Pasifika 8 (Sione Havili-Talitui try; Christian Leali'ifano pen). HT: 28-8

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has rocketed up the leaderboard at the LPGA Tour's Ford Championship on Friday (Saturday NZ Time). Ko fired a bogey-free eight-under 64 in the second round at the Seville Country Club in Gilbert, Arizona, moving from a share of 52nd into a tie for sixth at 11-under, three strokes behind the leader, Australian Hannah Green. Following a three-under 69 in the opening round on Thursday (Friday NZT), the 26-year-old made birdies at the 10th, 12th and 18th holes to make the turn at six-under after starting on the back-nine. After another birdie at the second, Ko made back-to-back tweeters at the fourth and five, and seventh and eighth holes to jump into the top-10. The world No 8 was almost perfect during the second round, hitting 14-of-14 fairways and 15-of-18 greens in regulation, requiring just 25 putts. She averaged 263 yards off the tee. Ko will tee it up in the third round on Saturday (Sunday NZT) alongside German Caroline Masson at 12.50pm local time (8.50am NZT). Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour Champions, Kiwi Steven Alker is in a three-way tie for the lead after the first round of The Galleri Classic. Alker is level with South African Retief Goosen and German Alex Cejka after firing a bogey-free six-under 66 on Friday (Saturday NZT) at the Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs, California. The 52-year-old made birdies at the first, fourth, ninth, 11th, 15th and 16th holes as he chases his second victory of the season in the over-50s tour. He went 14-of-14 on fairways and 15-of-18 for greens in regulation. Alker tees off in the second round at 1.11pm local time on Saturday (9.11am Sunday NZT), with the co-leaders. On the PGA Tour, Ryan Fox has work to do at the Houston Open, despite an even-par 70 in the second round on Friday (Saturday NZT). Fox produced four birdies and four bogeys at the Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas, managing to move up six spots to a share of 55th at one-over, 10 shots behind the leader, American Tony Finau. The world No 47, who made four birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey in round one, hit just 4-of-13 fairways and 11-of-18 greens in regulation. Fox just survived on the cut-line, with birdies at the 15th and 16th briefly getting him into red numbers. He will start his third round, alongside Australian Aaron Baddeley and American Sam Stevens, on Saturday at 12.10pm local time (6.10am Sunday NZT). No Kiwis made the cut at the DP World Tour's Indian Open, with Daniel Hillier withdrawing with one hole remaining in his second round on Friday. Hillier was at two-over, three shots below the cut-line with an even-par round going when he left the course. He made three birdies, a bogey and two double-bogeys in his two-over 74 in the first round at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi, India. New professional Kazuma Kobori made five birdies and four bogeys in a one-under 71 in the second round but it was not enough to overcome his six-over 78 on Thursday, finishing at five-over. Sam Jones finished at six-over following a two-over 74 on Friday, which featured two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey. He had three birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey in a four-over 76 on Thursday.

The Otago Nuggets and Taranaki Airs have opened their National Basketball League (NBL) seasons with hard-fought wins. The Nuggets protected their home-court advantage in Dunedin with a thrilling 86-79 overtime victory over the Southland Sharks, while the Airs held off the Manawatu Jets 83-78 in Palmerston North on Saturday. After Nuggets forward Matt Bardsley (17 points) tied proceedings at 76-76 with just five seconds remaining to force overtime, the Sharks were outscored 10-3 in the extra period to lose a contest they looked destined to win in regulation. Callum McRae (12 points and 13 rebounds) put the Southlanders five points ahead with 90 seconds to play, only for Jack Andrew and Bardsley to pull the hosts level, Andrew nailing a corner three as the shot clock expired and 60 seconds later Bardsley’s driving layup levelling the scores. Andrew and import Kimani Lawrence each scored 18 points but it was their crucial four points each in overtime that sealed the win for the 2022 champions. The Nuggets scored the first seven points of the game before Alonzo Burton (12 points) got the Sharks on the board. However, with Lawrence and Ben Henshall (21 points) prominent, the home team was quickly out to a double-figure lead. Marcale Lotts (14 points and 13 rebounds) and Callum McRae responded for the Sharks before Bardsley brought the curtain down on the first quarter scoring with a neat baseline move, putting the Nuggets ahead 26-18. Bardsley was again to the fore in the second with a pair of steals leading to breakaway layups, although a couple of triples from Ben Hall ensured the Sharks remained in touching distance at the interval, trailing 46-38. To the delight of the sizeable group of travelling Sharks fans, the Nuggets' eight-point advantage was whittled down to one following a Lotts dunk. McRae then tied proceedings, forcing Nuggets coach Brent Matehaere to call a timeout. Henshall responded with five points but the battalion of the Orange Army were smiling at the last break, with the Sharks 63-58 ahead. Those smiles were broad when McRae put them 76-71 ahead with 98 seconds to play but turned to frowns as Bardsley, Andrew and Lawrence thrilled the Edgar Centre faithful over the closing minutes. The Nuggets will welcome back the exciting guard duo of Tai Webster and Dante Russo-Nance in the near future, potentially before their Week 2 game at home against the Manawatu Jets on Friday night (tip-off 7.30pm). The Sharks host the Jets on Wednesday night in Invercargill (tip-off 7.30pm). Both the Airs and Jets were heavily dependent on their star bigs and the big fellas delivered as a see-saw battle in the post eventually fell in the favour of Sam Froling, only just, over over Tall Blacks forward Tyrell Harrison. Froling finished with 29 points (13/21 FG) and 14 rebounds, while Harrison had a monster double-double with 16 points (8/11 FG) and 24 boards. The first quarter began with Harrison and Froling trading baskets, but it was not just the bigs delivering, as imports Elijah Minnie and Mustapha Heron traded threes early as both teams felt each other out. The threes kept flowing as Liam Judd hit another before attacking the rim for five straight points on his way to a career- and team-high 23 points (6/15 FG, 3/9 3pt, 8/10 FT) and six rebounds. But things took a sudden turn for the Jets when import point guard Jasper Rentoy went down with a knee injury that kept him out for the remainder of the game. The second quarter started as the game did, with Harrison finding space inside, before Heron and Minnie traded highlight reel dunks that got the crowd to their feet. The Airs turned the screws defensively, holding the Jets without a point for more than seven minutes as Mitch McCarron imprinted himself on the game with no-look passes that got the Airs offense flowing. Judd responded with a spectacular layup to reach 12 points for the half, before Froling again found some space to reach 13 points and nine boards, before Simon Lafaele hit a layup just before halftime to cut Taranaki's lead to eight. After the break, the Airs came out strong as the lead again reached 12 points, before Judd again inserted himself into the action to with a three-pointer, followed by a three-point play that cut the lead to two. But Froling was not to be denied, hitting back-to-back buckets to give the Airs a five-point lead heading into the final term. The fourth started slowly but then Heron scored eight straight points to give the Jets their first lead of the second half with just over seven minutes to play. New recruit Derone Raukawa hit back-to-back buckets to retake a two-point lead, bedore Minnie again again connected from deep to tie the game at 75-75 with under two minutes to play. Heron responded with free throws before Minnie finished a skying baseline dunk with a foul to grab a two-point lead. The Jets peppered the rim with three-point attempts that failed to hit the mark before Judd grabbed an offensive board and got fouled to head to the line with a chance to tie the game with 21 seconds remaining. Judd only hit one of two, cutting the lead to one and all the remaining scoring was done by the Airs, wrapping up coach Sam Mackinnon’s first NBL win. Otago Nuggets 86 (Ben Henshall 21, Kimani Lawrence 18, Jack Andrew 18, Matthew Bardsley 17) Southland Sharks 79 (Josh Turner 16, Marcale Lotts 14, LaGerald Vick 14, Alonzo Burton 12, Callum McRae 12). 1Q: 26-18, HT: 46-38, 3Q: 58-63, 4Q: 76-76 Taranaki Airs 83 (Sam Froling 29, Elijah Minnie 24, Mitch McCarron 11) Manawatu Jets 78 (Liam Judd 23, Mustapha Heron 21, Tyrell Harrison 16, Campbell Scott 10). 1Q: 20-21, HT: 43-35, 3Q: 60-55

The defending Super Rugby Pacific champion Crusaders have ended their franchise-worst losing streak at five matches. A double from wing Johnny McNicholl propelled the 14-time champions to a 37-26 win over the Chiefs at Christchurch's Apollo Projects Stadium in Round 6 on Friday night, lifting them off the bottom of the standings. Chay Fihaki, Cullen Grace and George Bell also scored tries for the Crusaders, while Emoni Narawa, George Dyer, Anton Lienert-Brown and Cortez Ratima went over for the Chiefs, who never led in the match. Fullback Fihaki won the race to a grubber-kick from Nigel Hotham in the sixth minute after the halfback made a break down the blindside from halfway. Hotham then delivered the last pass to put McNicholl in for his first, with the Crusaders leading 12-0 after just 14 minutes. The Chiefs answered through wing Emoni Narawa after 17 minutes, finishing off a 4-on-1 out wide, but No 8 Cullen Grace restore the Crusaders' advantage soon after. Prop George Dyer scored in the 34th minute, making it a one possession game after Josh Jacomb made a clean line-break, but Riley Hohepa sent the Crusaders into halftime up 22-12. The teams exchanged tries in the second half, with prop George Bell and McNicholl scoring for the Crusaders and All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown and Cortez Ratima for the Chiefs, who only got as close as eight points. The Crusaders have the bye in Round 7 before facing the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on April 12, while the Chiefs host Moana Pasifika at Hamilton's FMG Stadium Waikato next Saturday (kick-off 7.05pm) Crusaders 37 (Johnny McNicholl 2, Chay Fihaki, Cullen Grace, George Bell tries; Riley Hohepa 2 con, pen, Reviz Reihana con, pen) Chiefs 26 (Emoni Narawa, George Dyer, Anton Lienert-Brown, Cortez Ratima tries; Josh Jacomb con, Josh Ioane 2 con). HT: 22-12

The National Basketball League's (NBL) newest team the Mid-North Whai celebrated their debut in the league in perfect fashion In front of a big crowd at Tauranga's Mercury Baypark Arena on Friday night, the Whai announced themselves as the league's 11th franchise, powering home in the second half for a 91-70 victory over the Bay Hawks. The Whai rode Tall Blacks guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt, hometown hero Jayden Bezzant and import Phil Carr in the 21-point victory. American forward Carr put up an impressive double-double in his first NBL game, finishing with a game-high 24 points (8/12 FG, 2/3 3pt, 6/11 FT), 13 rebounds and two blocks. Perrott-Hunt led the scoring in the first quarter with a 13-point explosion before finishing with 23 points (7/14 FG, 5/9 3pt, 4/4 FT), while Bezzant contributed 14 points (7/16 FG), four assists and two steals as he relished being back in a starting role after coming off the bench last season with the Franklin Bulls. The teams had a back-and-forth tussle in the first half before a dominant third quarter pushed the Whai clear. Both teams were short one import, while the Hawks' Tall Blacks star Jordan Ngatai is yet to arrive back in the country while finishing his season in Finland. Keanu Rasmussen was a shining light for the visitors, scoring a team-high 23 points (9/19 FG, 2/9 3pt) and five rebounds, while Josh Roberts had 14 points (7/11 FG) and nine boards after dealing with early foul trouble. Lucas Sutherland also managed 13 points (5/15 FG). The Whai are at home to the Auckland Tuatara next Saturday (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Hawks host the Southland Sharks next Sunday (tip-off 7.30pm). Mid-North Whai 91 (Phil Carr 24, Kruz Perrott-Hunt 23, Jayden Bezzant 14) Bay Hawks 70 (Keanu Rasmussen 23, Josh Roberts 14, Lucas Sutherland 13). 1Q: , HT: , 3Q: