Latest- The All Blacks Sevens started the Vancouver round of the World Rugby Sevens Series with a 40-14 win over Japan.
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand had six different try scorers - Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Brady Rush, Kitiona Vai, Moses Leo, Sam Dickson and Akuila Rokolisoa - in the win.
The All Blacks Sevens also beat Wales 38-5 after having a 26-0 halftime lead.
New Zealand's last game on day one of the tournament is against Samoa.
The Canada stop is New Zealand's second tournament since re-joining the sevens circuit after a two year break due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The All Blacks Sevens finished as runners-up to Fiji in the Singapore round last week.
New Zealand get first wins at Billie Jean King Cup
New Zealand has finished fifth in Asia Oceania Group 2 of the Billie Jean King Cup after winning their final tie against Indonesia 2-1 in Antalya.
Vivian Yang Photo: Gokhan Taner
Erin Routliffe and Paige Hourigan won a thrilling deciding doubles rubber 6-3 4-6 7-6 (3) over Jessy Rompies and Aldila Sutjiadi to gain some consolation after the defeat by India 24 hours earlier ensured the Kiwis would drop to Asia Oceania Group 2 with Indonesia for 2023.
Earlier 17-year-old Vivian Yang won the first point for New Zealand with a 7-5 6-2 win over Beatrice Gumulya.
Team captain Marina Erakovic had handed the rookie lefthander her third singles match of the tournament and she didn't disappoint.
Katherine Westbury then came in for her first match of the tournament in the number one singles and was well beaten 6-1 6-1 by Aldila Sutjiadi.
New Zealand had suffered 3-0 defeats to China, Japan and South Korea before a 2-1 loss to India saw them relegated.
Hyo Joo Kim retains lead at Lotte Championship
Hyo Joo Kim endured an up-and-down third round but still maintained her three-shot lead at the Lotte Championship in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.
The 26-year-old South Korean shot an even-par 72 at Hoakalei Country Club to sit at 10-under 206 heading into the final round.
Lydia Ko. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The United States' Brianna Do and Japan's Hinako Shibuno are tied for second at 7 under. Do carded a 5-under 67 matching the best score of the day, while Shibuno posted a 4-under 68.
South Korea's Somi Lee and Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadows each shot a third-round 69 to share fourth place at 6 under.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand is tied for 33rd -- just as she was following the second round - after a 73 left her at 1 over.
The 10th edition of the event is being played at Hoakalei Country Club for the first time. It was held at Kapolei Golf Club last year following eight years at Ko Olina Golf Club.
-Field Level Media
Waratahs start fast against Force
Three converted tries in the opening fifteen minutes helped the NSW Waratahs to a 41-24 win over the Western Force in Super Rugby Pacific.
After a physical opening to the match, the Waratahs opened the scoring after four minutes through a Tane Edmed penalty goal from directly in front and extended to a 10-point lead just moments later, with Mark Nawaqanitawase scoring a breakaway try.
Centre Lalakai Foketi crossed over for a try after 10 minutes followed by Michael Hooper who scored the third try of the match in the 13th minute.
The Force responded in the 19th minute courtesy of a Reesjan Pasitoa try.
The Force continued their momentum in the early stages of the second half, with Tim Anstee powering over in the 45th minute to narrow the margin to 12 points.
Five minutes later it was the Waratahs who countered with a try from hooker Dave Porecki.
The try-fest continued, as Force hooker scored his first try of the season in the 55th minute. The rolling maul again proved effective from the lineout, with Ready crossing over with ease.
Former Force full-back Alex Newsome scored the Waratahs fifth (63') and sixth (65') try of the night in quick succession after Pasitoa was shown a yellow card in the 61st minute to open a 19-41 scoreline.
In the 76th minute, the Force executed a seamless set piece play from a scrum at the five-metre line to allow Pasitoa to score his second try of the night.
Ex England captains suggest Root's successor
Former England cricket captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain have thrown their support behind all-rounder Ben Stokes to become the team's test captain after Joe Root stepped down.
Ben Stokes Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Bookmakers and Hussain say bowler Stuart Broad is the second favourite to replace Root.
Root ended his five-year tenure as the test skipper on Friday, saying the job had taken a heavy toll on him recently after dispiriting tours of Australia and the Caribbean capped a string of poor results.
Stokes, who was Root's deputy, is best placed to take over but would need support from a "senior core", Vaughan said.
"I don't see anyone else who could take the position and be guaranteed of their place in the side," Vaughan told the BBC.
"In Ben Stokes, you have clearly got someone who has got a smart cricket brain, he's going to give it everything, he is certainly going to have the respect of the players around him."
Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket in July to focus on his mental health while also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger, but returned to the England squad for the Ashes series.
The 30-year-old has not been training after suffering pain in his left knee in March but he is on course to return for the County Championship next month for Durham.
-Reuters
Billie Jean King Cup finalists found
Poland's world number one Iga Swiatek handed Romania's Andreea Prisacariu a double bagel en route to victory in their Billie Jean King Cup qualifier securing a 3-0 win in the tie and a spot in November's finals for the first time.
Iga Swiatek Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Swiatek, who put her country up 2-0 on Friday's opening day by thrashing Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-1 6-0 for an 18th straight win, continued to stamp her authority on the tie as the 20-year-old broke Prisacariu six times in Radom, Poland.
Joining Poland in the finals are Kazakhstan, who beat visitors Germany 3-0 with Elena Rybakina coming from a set down to get past three-times Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber 4-6 6-3 7-5 in Nur-Sultan.
Marketa Vondrousova and Karolina Muchova won the doubles decider for 11-time champions Czech Republic to clinch their finals berth with a 3-2 victory over Britain after beating Harriet Dart and Katie Swan 6-1 7-5 in Prague.
Vondrousova, the 2019 French Open runner-up, earlier picked apart Emma Raducanu 6-1 6-1 as the teenager struggled with blisters on her right foot before Dart levelled the tie at 2-2 with a 6-0 5-7 6-2 win over 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova.
Four-time winners Italy also advanced after Camila Giorgi, secured the decisive point in their victory over France in Sardinia with a 6-2 6-0 thrashing of Harmony Tan.
Spain will bid for a sixth title after Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-0 6-4 to secure their passage to the finals.
Canada, led by U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, and the U.S. are also in prime position to advance with 2-0 leads before resuming their ties against Latvia and Ukraine respectively.
Belgium are already in the finals after receiving a walkover with opponents Belarus being suspended from international team competitions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
-Reuters
