Latest - All Blacks fullback Jordie Barrett said he would be interested in making a short-term code switch to play in Australia's National Rugby League.
Photo: Daniel Carson/Photosport Ltd 2021
"To be honest, every off-season or every time I'm sitting there watching a rugby league game, I think ... I'd love to go over there and play some league just for a season," the 24-year-old, who has 36 caps for New Zealand, told the What A Lad podcast.
"I'm not sure what position I'd play, but I'd love to go over there and give it a crack, who knows."
Several current All Blacks have previously expressed an interest in playing in the competition.
Ardie Savea previously said he was keen to test himself in the 13-man form of the sport but then signed a new four-year contract with New Zealand Rugby last month.
TJ Perenara was also linked with a move to Sydney Roosters before he signed a new contract with NZR.
- Reuters
England hurt by Test Championship penalty
England have spoken to officials about speeding up their play after being docked five World Test Championship (WTC) points and their entire match fee for failing to get through their required overs against Australia in the first Ashes test.
Joe Root's side were ruled to be five overs short in the nine-wicket defeat at the Gabba after time allowances were taken into consideration, with match referee David Boon, the former Australia test opener, imposing the sanction.
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Players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, while the team is penalised one point for each over short.
"What hurts most is the test championship points," England coach Chris Silverwood told British media.
"This hits the lads in the pocket, but the thing that really gets us is the points because we are competing to get in that final.
"We have been through it with the match referee on areas we can improve."
Australia missed out on the inaugural WTC final in July after being docked points for their slow over rate during the second test against India in Melbourne.
- Reuters
More doping sanctions for Russia
World Triathlon has imposed sanctions on the Russian Triathlon Federation (RTF) that will be effective for one year due to a "significant number" of doping cases in the country, the governing body said in a statement.
As part of the sanctions, Russia will not be able to organise any World or European Triathlon events until the end of 2022, and RTF officials will have to resign from the events' governing bodies for the period of one year.
RTF has also been asked to reach an agreement with the Russia Anti-Doping Agency to test all athletes from the country, as well as refund cash prizes previously awarded to the Russian triathletes penalised with doping offences.
Earlier this year, Russian triathlete Igor Polyanskiy became the first athlete to be formally disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics after he was suspended for three years after testing positive for the banned substance EPO.
- Reuters
Technical error hits Champions League draw
Paris St Germain will face Real Madrid in a titanic clash in the last 16 of the Champions League, while Manchester United take on Atletico Madrid after UEFA declared the original draw void due to a technical error in the process.
Earlier, United were mistakenly drawn with Villarreal, even though both teams had already faced each other in the group stage while the Premier League side's ball was not added to the bowl as a potential opponent for Atletico Madrid.
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United were eventually drawn with PSG while Atletico drew Bayern Munich before the draw was scrapped after the Spanish side complained and UEFA admitted the error.
Liverpool take on Inter Milan with another trip to the San Siro after Juergen Klopp's side beat AC Milan twice in the group stage.
Last year's runners-up Manchester City face Sporting Lisbon while Juventus, who topped their group above Chelsea, face Villarreal.
Holders Chelsea will face French champions Lille, just as they were drawn in the original draw, while six-times champions Bayern Munich will now face RB Salzburg -- the first Austrian side to qualify for the knockout stages.
Benfica, who initially drew Real Madrid, will now play high-flying Ajax Amsterdam who impressed in the group stage by winning all six matches.
- Reuters
Radacanu hit by Covid-19
US Open champion Emma Raducanu has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss this week's Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
The 19-year-old Briton, who became the first qualifier to win a major when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in September, was due to face Olympics singles gold medallist Belinda Bencic at the December 16-18 event.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"I was very much looking forward to playing in front of the fans here in Abu Dhabi, but unfortunately after testing positive for COVID-19, I will have to postpone until the next opportunity," Raducanu said.
"I'm isolating as per rules and hopefully will be able to get back soon."
Men's world number six Rafa Nadal and last year's U.S. Open winner Dominic Thiem are set to return from their injury layoffs in Abu Dhabi.
Britain's Andy Murray, Russian Andrey Rublev, Norway's Casper Ruud and Canadian Denis Shapovalov will also participate in the event before the 2022 competitive season kicks off in Australia.
- Reuters
Hughes wins top award
Halfback Jahrome Hughes has been named the Kiwis Player of the Year,
Hughes was a standout for Melbourne, who won a record-tying 19 games in a row thanks to the Kiwi's leadership and consistency in the halves.
He ended the NRL season with nine tries, 19 try assists and 13 line-break assists.
Parramatta backrower Isaiah Papali'i won the Young Kiwi Player of the Year award.
-RNZ
