Today's sports news: What you need to know

Warriors fullback Reece Walsh has been ruled out of tonight's second State of Origin rugby league match with a hamstring injury.

The 18-year-old was set to make his debut for Queensland against New South Wales in Brisbane.

But in a statement late on Saturday, the Maroons confirmed that wouldn't be the case.

"Queensland Maroons player Reece Walsh has been ruled out of tomorrow night's State of Origin match after suffering a low grade hamstring strain.

"Walsh needed treatment during the captain's run at Suncorp Stadium and will unfortunately not be able to make his debut for the Maroons."

Valentine Holmes would replace Walsh at fullback in the Queensland side, who were thumped 50-6 by the Blues in the series opener.

New Zealand sailor Erica Dawson broke her leg in a training accident in Australia this week and faces a race to be fit for her Olympic debut in Japan next month.

Dawson, who has been working with skipper Micah Wilkinson alongside the Australian team in Mooloolaba, fell off her Nacra 17 catamaran on Tuesday and broke her left fibula after hitting the rudder of the boat.

"Not ideal situation five weeks out from the Olympics," Dawson said in an Instagram post on Friday that was accompanied by a picture of her in a hospital bed.

"On Tuesday in Mooloolaba I came off the boat and got hit by the rudder breaking my fibula.

"... There have been many tears, but also managed many laughs despite the situation we're in. I'll do my absolute best for a speedy recovery to be on that start line with Micah and come out stronger."

Dawson and Wilkinson are scheduled to begin their Olympic campaign at Enoshima on July 28. The Tokyo Games will begin on July 23.

- Reuters

Black Ferns Sevens stay unbeaten

The New Zealand women's side are one win away from clinching the Oceania Sevens title after collecting two more wins on day two in Townsville.

After thumping their Australian rivals 34-5 to open their account on Saturday, the Black Ferns Sevens finished the day with a 34-7 victory over the Oceania team.

New Zealand's title prospects were also boosted by Australia's shock 19-12 defeat to Fiji.

Meanwhile, New Zealand are locked in a battle with Fiji for the men's title heading into the final day of the tournament.

After a missed late penalty from Vilimoni Koroi saw them suffer a 21-19 defeat to Fiji, New Zealand returned to their winning ways by beating Oceania 21-17.

All teams played two more matches on Sunday, with the champions decided by position on the ladder.

Lions lose skipper for South Africa

The British and Irish Lions beat Japan 28-10 in their Murrayfield warm-up on Saturday but the match was overshadowed by a shoulder injury that ruled captain Alun Wyn Jones out of the tour of South Africa.

The veteran Welsh lock was forced off after eight minutes supporting his left arm, seemingly in distress and helped by a doctor.

Coach Warren Gatland later confirmed it had been a shoulder dislocation. "The best case scenario is he might be right for the first Test, however we've had a chat and it looks like we're going to have to replace him," Gatland said.

The better news for Gatland was that the Lions found their attacking groove early, albeit against some soft defending by a Japan team playing their first Test since the World Cup quarter-final defeat by South Africa in 2019.

In front of 16,500 fans at Murrayfield, likely to be the biggest crowd they will play in front of this summer, the Lions were in control for the first hour of the game, their first in Britain since 2005.

The Lions play the first match of their eight-game, three-Test South Africa tour in Johannesburg on July 3.

- Reuters

Crashes mar opening Tour stage

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe recovered from a crash to win the first stage of the Tour de France, an incident-strewn 197.8-km ride from Brest, to take the inaugural leader's yellow jersey.

The world champion burst away from the main pack with 2.3km left of a brutal climb up to the Cote de la Fosse aux Loups, and none of his rivals could match his power.

Australian Michael Matthews took second place, with Slovenian Primoz Roglic coming home third, eight seconds behind, with most of the top favourites including defending champion Tadej Pogacar and 2018 winner Geraint Thomas on their wheels.

The stage was hit by two massive crashes that brought down numerous riders. Among them were four-time champion Chris Froome, who looked in pain as he climbed on his bike again after being sent down in the second crash 7.5km from the finish.

The Briton, who has little hope of winning the race after failing to rediscover top form following a horror crash two years ago, ended the stage almost 15 minutes off the pace.

In the first crash, German Tony Martin was sent tumbling when he rode straight into a cardboard sign being held out by a fan looking the other way at a television camera, creating chaos with 47 kilometres left of the stage.

- Reuters

England seal T20 series sweep

England won the final Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka in handsome fashion with a dominant 89-run victory, giving the hosts a 3-0 series sweep in Southampton.

Chasing 181 to win after England's openers stitched together a century stand, Sri Lanka collapsed and lost wickets at regular intervals as fast bowler David Willey finished with 3-27 while five others picked up at least one wicket.

Earlier, England finished their innings on 180-6 after opening batsmen Dawid Malan (76) and Jonny Bairstow (51) built a 105-run stand. Malan had come into the side as a replacement for Jos Buttler who was ruled out with a torn calf muscle.

The pair smashed five boundaries each while Malan also cleared the rope four times, with Isuru Udana and Wanindu Hasaranga taking the brunt of the devastating blows, conceding 55 and 42 runs respectively.

Seamer Dushmantha Chameera was the only Lankan bowler who could walk back to the pavilion with his head held high after finishing his spell with a career-best 4-17, dismissing Malan as well as cleaning up the middle order.

The two teams will move on to a three-match one-day international series which begins on Tuesday in Chester-le-Street.

Pole for Verstappen in Austria

Red Bull's Formula One world championship leader Max Verstappen took pole position for his team's home Styrian Grand Prix and set up another duel with title rival Lewis Hamilton.

Seven-times world champion Hamilton qualified third at Austria's Red Bull Ring but will join Verstappen on the front row because Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas, second fastest, collected a three-place grid penalty in Friday practice.

Verstappen leads Hamilton by 12 points after seven rounds, with three wins each, and Sunday's race promises to be another thrilling battle between the championship's two outstanding drivers.

The pole, with a lap 0.194 quicker than Bottas's best, was Verstappen's second in a row after France last weekend, and third of the season. It was also Red Bull's first at the Spielberg circuit.

"I'm sure again tomorrow it will be very tight," said the Dutch driver after posting a fastest time of one minute 03.841 seconds with his first run of the final session. His second lap was slower, but still quicker than anyone else."

McLaren's Lando Norris will start third with Red Bull's Sergio Perez fourth following the grid drop imposed on Bottas for dangerous driving when he spun his car across the pitlane during practice.

- Reuters