Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Manly came back from 18-0 down to beat Brisbane 20-18 in their National Rugby League game at Gosford.

Brisbane made all the running in the first half with three tries, but an obstruction run from Corey Oates when the Broncos should have gone up 24-0 allowed Manly to sneak a try in right before half-time and go in with it in the second.

Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans pulled the strings from halfback to set up the dramatic victory which moves them up to sixth on the table.

Former England rugby international Ben Te'o was introduced for the final 23 minutes in his first game since the 2014 grand final but had little impact while the Broncos halves were ineffectual as Manly stole the momentum.

It was Brisbane's third staright loss since the resumption of the competition and they remain 10th in the standings.

-NRL

Ngatai goes first in NBL draft

Jordan Ngatai is the number one pick in the first ever player draft for the New Zealand National Basketball League.

The Tall Blacks forward has been selected by the Otago Nuggets for the revamped competition starting later this month in West Auckland.

Fellow internationals Derone Raukawa and Tom Vodanovich rounded out the top three, with Tall Blacks legend Mika Vukona going fourth.

Otago Nuggets: Jordan Ngatai, Jarrod Kenny, Jordan Hunt, Kane Keil, Josh Aitcheson, Benoit Hayman, Darcy Knox, Richie Rodger, Sam Rua, Akiva McBirney-Griffin, Jack Andrew, Matthew Bardsley.

Taranaki Mountainairs: Derone Raukawa, Marcel Jones, Shane Temara, Tai Wynyard, Francis Mulvihill, Kenneth Tuffin, Denhym Brooke, Will Heather, Oscar Robertson, Carlin Davison, Baxter Fenwick.

Manawatu Jets: Tom Vodanovich, Hyrum Harris, Jayden Bezzant, Taane Samuel, Nick Fee, Haize Walker, Tia Temata-Frost, Ashton McQueen, Matangirei Hipango, Josiah Laracy, Nick Power, Kalib Mullins.

Nelson Giants: Mika Vukona, Mike Karena, Dane Brooks, Tom Ingham, Josh Bloxham, Nick Trathen, Riley Bensemann, Tysxun Aiolupotea, Zeb Lovell, Thane O'Leary, Theo Johnson, Tommy Garguilo.

Canterbury Rams: Jack Salt, Taylor Britt, Joe Cook-Green, Alex Talma, Sam Smith, Toby Gilloly, Jack Exeter, Tom Cowie, Thomas Webley, Mac Stodart, Ben Carlile-Smith, Mason Whittaker.

Franklin Bulls: Dominique Kelman-Poto, Sam Timmins, Everard Bartlett, Jackson Stubbins, Isaac Davidson, Nick Barrow, Joel Vaiangina, Nikau McCullough, Connor Woodbridge, Joe Reddish, Chris McIntosh, Dru-Leo Leusogi-Ape.

Auckland Huskies: Izayah Mauriahoohoo Leafa, Tohi Smith Milner, Leon Henry, Taine Murray, Rasheed Al-Kaleem, Tinashe Matambanadzo, Ana Haku, Johnny Fesolai, Marvin Williams-Dunn, Jaylen Gerrand, Nick Brophy, Nathan Wilson.

AFL returns to MCG

After a nearly three-month pause due to COVID-19, the Australian Football League resumed at an empty Melbourne Cricket Ground last night where a thrilling draw between bitter cross-town rivals played out against a background of anger at racial injustice.

Defending champions Richmond Tigers clawed back a four-goal deficit to reel in the Collingwood Magpies 5.6(36) - 5.6(36) in the first clash since the top flight of Australian Rules was suspended in March.

It was a disappointing finish for the Magpies, whose preparations for the second round game were overshadowed by allegations of racism from a former player during the week.

Heritier Lumumba, the AFL's first Brazil-born player, launched a scathing attack on the club where he played 199 games, including the 2010 championship, from 2005-2014.

Collingwood and Richmond players gathered in the centre of the MCG before the match and kneeled on one knee for half a minute in an act of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement.

-Reuters

Motorcycle season confirmed

MotoGP will resume the 2020 season stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic with back-to-back races at the Jerez circuit in Spain on July 19 and 26.

Five circuits will host double-headers and Spain will have seven races as part of the revised 13-round European calendar.

Eight races have been axed this season including the Qatar, Dutch, German, Finnish, British, Australian, Japanese and Italian rounds.

The third round will take place in the Czech Republic on Aug. 9 before two races in Austria on Aug. 16 and 23. Misano will host two rounds in September.

MotoGP said at least 12 rounds would be held but that number could increase to 17 with four races outside Europe between Nov. 22 and Dec. 13.

The only long-haul races yet to be cancelled due to the pandemic are those in Thailand, Malaysia, the United States (Texas) and Argentina.

-Reuters

Comm Games put back a day

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will start 24 hours later than originally scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic's impact on the sporting calendar.

It will run from 28 July-8 August.

The move will allow athletes competing at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States - which finishes on 24 July - an extra day of recovery.

It will also avoid a clash with the semi-finals of women's football's European Championship.

Organisers will compress the athletics component from seven to five days and push it towards the end of the event to allow more rest from the Oregon event.

-BBC

Hikurangi remain on top of Tennis League

Hikurangi has continued its dominant form in the New Zealand Tennis Premier League, notching up another win to remain on course for the semi-finals.

The table topping team has beaten Rangitoto 2-1 after convincing wins for twin brothers Rubin and Oliver Statham.

The world number 11 ranked doubles player Michael Venus and Matt Alexander teamed up in the doubles for Rangitoto and they beat Rubin Statham and Daniel Rowe 6-1 6-3 to gain a consolation point.

Second placed Mauao (Mt Maunganui) swept Matairangi in the other tie.

There are four ties on Friday with Aoraki playing Rangitoto, Hikurangi up against Tongariro, Horokoau playing Matairangi and Mauao meeting Taranaki.

Norris loses fans over anti-racisim support

McLaren Formula One driver Lando Norris says he lost followers on social media after expressing his support for anti-racism protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis.

Twenty-year-old Norris, who has over 400,000 followers each on Twitter and streaming platform Twitch, had urged them to take action and sign a petition to fight discrimination.

"It's the biggest day in terms of the most people that have unfollowed me on all my social media channels," Norris told the Evening Standard.

"You try to do what's good and what's right, but also so many people don't believe in it. If they don't believe in it, then I'm happy they unfollowed me," Norris said.

Lewis Hamilton, Formula One's first black world champion, had previously criticised his sport's silence in the aftermath of Floyd's death and backed protesters who toppled the statue of a 17th-century slave trader in the English port city of Bristol.

-Reuters

India postpones tour

India have postponed their limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka scheduled later this month over COVID-19 fears.

Virat Kohli and his men were scheduled to play three one-day matches and an equal number of Twenty20 internationals but the Indian board has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that the tour "will not be feasible".

The Indian cricketers, who have not even started training, will follow advice from the Indian government health regulatory authorities before resuming cricket, the SLC has been told.

BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal said India remained committed to the Future Tours Programme and would tour Sri Lanka at a more opportune time.

A select group of 13 Sri Lankan cricketers are currently undergoing a 12-day residential training camp at the Colombo Cricket Club.

-Reuters

Protocols in place for EPL return

All 20 English Premier League football clubs have approved a range of matchday protocols for next week's resumption of action after a three-month stoppage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest shareholders meeting discussed the details of medical and operational measures, including how many backroom staff will be allowed to attend away games.

According to media reports clubs will also respect a minute's silence for those who have died during the pandemic and kits will include a heart-shaped badge in honour of NHS and frontline staff during the crisis.

The Premier League's Project Restart kicks off next Wednesday with the first two of the 92 outstanding fixtures.

Manchester City will host Arsenal and Aston Villa welcome Sheffield United.

All the remaining games will be played without fans and a strict limit of 300 people -- including broadcast staff, written media, commentators, doping officials and scouts -- will be allowed in stadiums on matchdays.

-Reuters

Alli to miss season opener

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli will miss the Premier League restart after being suspended for a match by the Football Association, having been found guilty of misconduct after mocking the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Alli, 24, was charged with breaching FA Rule E3 (1) after posting a video on social media of himself at an airport wearing a mask and apparently mocking a man of Asian appearance.

The FA said Alli was also fined $100,000 and must undertake a face-to-face education course after he was found guilty by a independent regulatory commission.

England international Alli has been thriving in an advanced role under new Spurs manager Jose Mourinho, having scored seven goals across all competitions since the Portuguese coach took charge in November.

He will now miss Tottenham's first match back, the visit of Champions League qualification rivals Manchester United on June 19.

-Reuters

Kobe to be honoured at Emmys

Oscar winner Kobe Bryant will receive a posthumous Emmy Award next month.

The Los Angeles Lakers icon will be honored with the Governors Award at the 72nd Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards on July 18.

Bryant, who died at age 41 in a January helicopter crash, was selected for his "philanthropy, community building and inspiration that extended beyond the basketball court," according to an announcement made by the event organizer, America's Television Academy.

Bryant starred for 20 seasons with the Lakers, winning five NBA championships and earning 18 All-Star selections.

Off the court, he won an Academy Award in 2018 for the animated short film "Dear Basketball."

-Reuters