Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - The Western Force remain in contention for a play-off spot in Super Rugby after beating Moana Pasifika 48-28 at Mt Smart Stadium.

In a physical and high-scoring match-up, the Force proved too strong and clinical for the home side scoring seven tries to four.

Run-on captain Ian Prior praised the character and resilience of the squad. "It's no secret that it's been a tough couple of weeks, but I'm immensely proud of the group," Prior explained.

"This one is for the fans. They've stuck with us through the years, and we wanted to make our family and friends proud, which I hope we did today."

The Force are ninth on the table on 19 points, three points behind the Highlanders in the eighth and final playoff spot.

If the Force beat the Hurricanes this weekend and the Highlanders lose to the Rebels in Melbourne and don't collect a bonus point, the Force would move to eighth and into the playoffs.

If the Force claim a bonus point win over the Hurricanes, then the Highlanders must draw or win against the Rebels to stay eighth.

If the Force and Highlanders end up level on points, the Highlanders are likely to advance due to their superior points difference.

The game was a catchup after their scheduled game earlier this season was postponed because of Covid.

Esports team named

The first E Blacks team to represent New Zealand has been named.

Fifteen players have been named to the esports team for the Commonwealth Esports Championships which will run alongside the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in early August.

Three esport titles will be played - Dota 2, Rocket League and eFootball.

The New Zealand team will be coached by Patrick Gleeson.

Dota 2 Open - Sam Johnson, Tobias Sveaas, Ning Yu, Jordan Baker, Thomas Argueso-Sareczky.

Dota 2 Women - Rangsey Mou, Lucy Tam, Kassie Pratt, Jane Zhu and Janice Tieu.

Rocket League - Joshua Macdonald-Gay, Dean Bargie, Tyler Williams

eFootball - Joshua King

Gilbert gets 5 weeks

The Highlanders first five Sam Gilbert hs been handed a five week suspension for a dangerous tackle in their loss to New South Wales at the weekend.

Gilbert pleased guilty to a tip tackle on the Waratahs loosie Michael Hooper.

Gilbert has been suspended from all forms of the game for 5 weeks, up to and including 25 June 2022.

The Foul Play Review Committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of 10 weeks due to a combination of features including the degree of recklessness exhibited and the danger posed to the tackled player.

Taking into account mitigating factors including the Player's clean judicial record, his acceptance of foul play, the Foul Play Review Committee reduced the suspension to 5 weeks."

Semenya reveals what she had to go through

Double Olympic 800 metres champion Caster Semenya offered to show her vagina to athletics officials when she was 18 to prove she was female, the South African middle-distance runner said.

Semenya, now 31, burst onto the scene in 2009 when she won the women's 800m world title by a stunning margin hours after the sport's world governing body said she would undergo gender verification tests.

"They thought I had a dick, probably, Semenya said in the HBO Real Sports interview. "I told them: 'It's fine. I'm a female, I don't care. If you want to see I'm a woman, I will show you my vagina. All right?'"

Gender tests on Semenya reportedly showed the runner had no womb or ovaries but that she had internal testes, the male sexual organs which produce testosterone, and her levels of the hormone were three times that of a "normal" female.

Semenya has a condition known as hyperandrogenism, which is characterised by higher than usual levels of testosterone, a hormone that increases muscle mass and strength and the body's ability to use oxygen.

In 2020, Semenya lost her appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal to set aside a 2019 Court of Arbitration ruling that female athletes with high natural testosterone levels must take medication to reduce it.

-Reuters

Czech takes stage 16

Czech cyclist Jan Hirt of Intermarche-Wanty Gobert overcame problems with his bike and fought cramps to win the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia as the race headed into the mountains in its final week.

Hirt's maiden stage win came on a 202km ride from Salo to Aprica where the riders gained an altitude of more than 5,000 metres on the climb.

He was well behind the leaders but caught up before the summit of the Mortirolo in the Italian Alps.

Overall leader Richard Carapaz of Ineos Grenadiers, Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) were in the group that sprinted for third -- one minute and 24 seconds behind.

Australian Hindley eventually clinched third and received the time bonus that allowed him to cut Ecuadorean Carapaz's lead to three seconds ahead of stage 17.

-Reuters

Clarke out for a month

The Blues are hoping Caleb Clarke will be able to play at least some part in the Super Rugby playoffs despite the All Blacks winger being sidelined for up to a month by a hamstring injury.

One of the most potent attacking weapons in the game, Clarke pulled up injured during the 21-19 win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra last weekend that guaranteed the Blues top spot in the standings at the end of the regular season.

Clarke will definitely miss this week's trip to Sydney to face the resurgent New South Wales Waratahs but assistant coach Daniel Halangahu said there was some hope that he might be available for the semi-finals or final.

Despite having locked up home advantage throughout the playoffs and earning the opportunity to rest some players, the Blues will be crossing the Tasman Sea determined to extend their winning streak to 13 matches.

-Reuters

BBC apologises for Man U gaf

The BBC has apologised to viewers after the headline "Manchester United are rubbish" appeared on its ticker during a television news broadcast.

The headline appeared on the bottom of the screen during a report on the French Open tennis championship.

TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan, who works for the BBC, noticed the gaffe and posted a clip on Twitter which immediately went viral.

BBC presenter Annita McVeigh later issued the apology on air and explained that the headline was written when someone was learning how to use the ticker.

United have endured a torrid campaign, finishing sixth in the table with 58 points -- their lowest in the Premier League era.

-Reuters

NBA returns to Paris

The Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons will play a regular-season NBA game in Paris next season.

The game will be played at Accor Arena on Jan. 19, 2023.

The contest will mark the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league's 12th game in France since 1991. The first regular-season NBA game in Paris took place Jan. 24, 2020, and featured the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks.

It will be the Bulls' third time playing in Paris; they played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997.

The Pistons will be playing their first game in France, having previously played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019).

-Reuters