Today's Sports News: What you need to know

Latest - The Warriors have missed out on Fijian international Api Koroisau.

The Manly hooker has instead signed with the Penrith Panthers for the next three NRL seasons.

The Panthers have swooped at the last minute after Koroisau appeared set to join the Bulldogs.

The Warriors were the second favourites for his signature as they chase a new hooker.

For Koroisau it's a return to Penrith, where he played 16 games in 2015 before spending the last four seasons with Manly Sea Eagles.

Venus prevails in tight opening match at US Open

New Zealand doubles specialist Michael Venus has made a successful start to the US tennis Open in New York.

He and Chinese Taipei's Hao-Ching Chan, the top seeds, have beaten the Slovenian-British combination of Andreja Klepac and Ken Skupski 7-6, 7-6 in the first round of the mixed doubles.

Venus is scheduled to play the opening round of the men's doubles tomorrow with his playing partner Raven Klaasen of South Africa.

Fellow Kiwis Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak are also yet to play their first round matches in the men's doubles with their respective partners.

Kiwi rowing crews continue strong form

Three New Zealand rowing crews have qualified for next year's Olympics after making their respective finals at the World Championships in Austria.

The women's lightweight double of Jackie Kiddle and Zoe McBride recorded a world championship best time in winning their semi-final... the women's pair of Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast aslo won their semi-final, while the women's quad also made their final.

The men's eight finished second in their repechage to make the final.

Wellington pip Counties

Wellington have beaten Counties Manukau 29-22 in their provincial rugby game in the capital.

Wellington scored their fourth try to grab their second win of the season.

The match appeared to be headed for a draw before Du'Plessis Kirifi scored the winner.

Counties led 12-7 at half time.

Black Caps win warmup match

The Black Caps have beaten a Sri Lankan Board President's Eleven by 33 runs in a T20 warmup game in Colombo.

Colin Munro scored 48 off 27 balls and Ross Taylor 41 as New Zealand made 168 for seven in their 20 overs.

In reply the locals finished on 135 for 9 with Scott Kuggeleijn taking four for 19 and Ish Sodhi three for 42.

The first of the three T20 internationals between New Zealand and Sri Lanka is on Monday morning.

Cowboys end Bulldogs hopes

North Queensland have ended Canterbury's faint NRL finals hopes with a 15-8 win in Townsville.

With an under-pressure coach, retiring legend Matt Scott in hospital and the form team of the competition in town, the Cowboys left it late but ultimately gave their faithful a result to remember.

Neither side could crack the other in the opening 40 minutes choosing instead to trade penalty goals.

The Cowboys' ninth win of the season enabled them to improve to 12th and swap places with the Bulldogs who needed to win to keep their scant finals hopes alive.

-AAP

Van Dijk named European player of the year

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has won UEFA's men's player of the year award, ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

England defender Lucy Bronze won the women's player of the year award.

Van Dijk was honoured at a ceremony in Monaco for his part in Liverpool's run to last season's Champions League title.

He is the first Dutchman and the first defender to receive the award since it was inaugurated in 2011.

Van Dijk also won the best defender award for the Champions League season, with the other awards going to Liverpool's Alisson Becker (goalkeeper), Barcelona's summer signing Frenkie de Jong (midfielder/Ajax), and Messi (forward).

-AAP

Liverpool get good Champions League draw

Holders Liverpool will face Napoli, Salzburg and Genk in the European Champions League group stage this season.

Premier League champions Manchester City were drawn alongside Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta.

Last year's runners-up Tottenham are in a group with five-time European Cup winners Bayern Munich, plus Olympiakos and Red Star Belgrade.

Chelsea must negotiate a group including 2019 semi-finalists Ajax, Valencia and Lille.

European heavyweights Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid were drawn together in Group A while former winners Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan will all meet in Group F.

-BBC

Finn staying with Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas will stay at the Mercedes Formula One team for another year.

The 30-year-old Finn, who joined the team in 2017 after Nico Rosberg's sudden retirement, was confirmed ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix as Formula One returned from its summer break.

Bottas bounced back strongly this season after a disappointing 2018 by winning the first race in Australia.

Winless in 2018, he has taken two victories and a further seven podiums from 12 races this season.

Meanwhile Frenchman Esteban Ocon will drive for the Renault Formula One team next season.

The 22-year-old Mercedes protege, filling the reserve driver role for the world champions this year, will replace Nico Hulkenberg alongside Australian Daniel Ricciardo as part of a two-year deal keeping him at the team until 2021.

-Reuters

New leader on Vuelta

The Spanish cyclist Jesus Herrada rode to victory on stage six of the Vuelta a Espana as Belgium's Dylan Teuns claimed the leader's jersey after finishing second.

The 199km hilly stage from Mora de Rubielos to Ares del Maestrat featured four climbs and culminated at the summit of the Puerto de Ares in Castellon, where Herrada strode away from Teuns with 150 metres remaining.

Riding into red was not a bad consolation prize for the Belgian, who started the day four minutes and 43 seconds down on red jersey wearer Miguel Angel Lopez.

There was a big crash in the main peloton just past the halfway mark with riders from multiple teams hitting the deck, leading to several withdrawals.

Fifth-placed Nicolas Roche, a former race leader, and sixth-placed Rigoberto Uran of EF Education First both abandoned after the pileup - as did Uran's team mate Hugh Carthy and Victor de la Parte of CCC.

New Zealand's George Bennett is 14th overall.

-Reuters