Latest - Reece Hodge will miss the remainder of Australia's pool matches at the Rugby World Cup after being found guilty of a dangerous tackle at a judicial hearing in Tokyo.
Wallabies player Reece Hodge. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Wallabies winger has been handed a three-game suspension by a three-man independent judiciary, who deemed his high tackle in Australia's opening win over Fiji met the red card threshold.
The ban means Hodge will miss Sunday's second pool match against Wales and also games against Uruguay and Georgia, becoming available again if Australia qualify for the quarterfinals.
Wallabies management are yet to decide if they will appeal the ban within the 48-hour window allowed.
Fiji flanker Peceli Yato was concussed and forced out of the game by the 26th minute tackle, which probably prevented a try.
In a statement, the judicial committee said contact with Yato's head meant there was a high degree of danger involved and that a six-week ban was warranted.
That sanction was halved because of Hodge's exemplary disciplinary record and his conduct at the hearing.
- AAP
Samoan players cited
Samoa's Rey Lee-lo and Motu Matu'u have been cited for dangerous high tackles in Tuesday's 34-9 Rugby World Cup victory over Russia.
Samoa hooker Motu Matu'u. Photo: Renee McKay/SRU
The pair were only given yellow cards by referee Romain Poite after the television match official reviewed the tackles on Russia captain Vasily Artemyev within two minutes of each other in the first half.
The pair will attend hearings before an independent judicial committee in Tokyo on a date to be agreed with both players and their representatives.
Russia coach Lyn Jones slammed the referee's decision not to hand out more severe punishments, saying two red cards in two minutes could have changed the course of the game.
- Reuters
Hammers out, United hang on
West Ham United have been thumped in a shock loss, while Manchester United's needed penalties to progress to the fourth round of English football's League Cup.
The fifth-placed side in the early stages of the new Premier League season, The Hammers have suffered a 4-0 away defeat to Oxford United, who are currently mid-table in League One, the third-tier of club football in England.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Meanwhile Manchester United has also had trouble with a League One opponent, needing penalties to get past Rochdale at Old Trafford.
United prevailed 5-3 in the shootout after the match had finished level at 1-1.
Matching the feats of Oxford, two other League One clubs ousted Premier League opposition.
Burton Albion beat Bournemouth 2-0, with Sunderland 1-0 winners over Sheffield United.
Wolverhampton Wanderers needed penalties to break a 1-1 deadlock with Championship strugglers Reading, while Premier League leaders Liverpool have won 2-0 at MK Dons, Chelsea's thumped Grimsby Town 7-1 and Aston Villa's won 3-1 at Brighton.
Australia easily take down Tall Ferns
The Tall Ferns have been beaten in their second game at the Asia Cup in India.
New Zealand women's basketball player Micaela Cocks takes on Australia. Photo: John Cowpland
New Zealand have gone down 82-44 to Australia in Bangalore.
Toni Farnworth (12 points) and Micaela Cocks (10 points) led the Tall Ferns scoring but no other players threatened double figures against Australia's relentless defence.
Despite losing their first two games, New Zealand can still secure third spot in group B and a place in the quarterfinals with a win in their final pool game against the Phillipines.
Dennis does it again
Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis has emphatically silenced critics and laid down an Olympic marker after defending his individual time trial crown at the Road World Championships in the UK.
The 29-year-old scorched the 54km course in overcast Yorkshire to finish more than a minute ahead of Belgian wonder kid Remco Evenepoel.
Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Italian Filippo Ganna was a distant third, narrowly ahead of New Zealand's Patrick Bevin.
Dennis was criticised after his mysterious withdrawal from the Tour de France in July, pulling out ahead of his signature time trial event on Stage 13, citing Bahrain-Merida's equipment among other reasons.
However, he explained that the Australian national team had advised him to defend his TT crown on the BMC Timemachine, which is the same model he rode in his victory in Innsbruck in 2018.
- AAP
Kyrgios considering rest
Nick Kyrgios is set to sit out the remainder of the Asian swing on the ATP Tour to allow himself time to recover from a shoulder injury in time for the Davis Cup.
The controversial Australian crashed out of the Zhuhai Championships after losing in the first round to Italian veteran Andreas Seppi 7-6(7-5) 6-1.
Nick Kyrgios. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Kyrgios was leading 4-1 in the first set when his shoulder started playing up, hampering his blistering serve, the most lethal weapon in his game.
"There's no point for me to play if I can't really serve, because serving is my strength, my favourite shot," said the Australian sixth seed, who also withdrew from last weekend's Laver Cup with the same injury.
Kyrgios, whose fiery temperament has often landed him in trouble with tennis authorities, said he would consider resting until the Davis Cup finals in Madrid in November.
- Reuters
Barty to keep top spot
Ashleigh Barty will remain unchallenged as the world No 1 in women's tennis for now.
World number one Ash Barty. Photo: Photosport
The Australian has won through to the Wuhan Open quarterfinals - a feat not matched by her rival for the top spot, Karolina Pliskova.
Barty recovered from a second-set hiccup against Sofia Kenin of the US to move into the last eight, while Pliskova was upset by Dayana Yastremska in her third round match.
The draw has opened up on Barty's side as well with Wimbledon champion Simon Halep, the fourth seed, retiring during the first set of her third round match against Elena Rybakina.
- Reuters
Coe kept on at IAAF
Sebastian Coe has been re-elected president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and will begin his second term facing the same Russian problems that have dogged the sport through the Briton's first stint.
IAAF chief Sebastian Coe. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Before the election, the IAAF voted overwhelmingly (164-30) not to reinstate Russia over reports that anti-doping data from a tainted Moscow laboratory had been tampered with before being handed over to the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Like Coe's unopposed selection, the Russian decision was not a surprise with the IAAF having announced Russia will miss the World Championships for the second time in succession due to a doping scandal.
- Reuters
