National Rugby League
Liam McGing, right, of Wellington Phoenix jumps over Roy O'Donovan of the Newcastle Jets to head the ball during their A-League match in Newcastle on Feb. 28, 2021. The A-League announced Friday, April 30, 2021, that the Phoenix, fighting for a playoff spot, will play a home match in the New Zealand capital of Wellington on May 22. (Darren Pateman/AAP Image via AP)
More than 400 days between home matches for A-League team

Apr. 29, 2021 09:24 PM EDT

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, center, and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield, right, talk to media in Wellington, New Zealand Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. As people in Auckland adjusted to a new lockdown on Monday, health officials said they'd found no evidence the coronavirus had spread further in the community, raising hopes the restrictions might be short-lived. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)
New Zealand Warriors set to play 4 months in Australia

Mar. 05, 2021 08:01 PM EST

6N: England without Australian skills coach during pandemic

Jan. 18, 2021 11:44 AM EST
LONDON (AP) — England will be without a key member of its backroom staff for the Six Nations rugby tournament after skills coach Jason Ryles opted against...

French rugby clubs told to defer games against British sides

By Jerome Pugmire Jan. 09, 2021 01:02 PM EST
PARIS (AP) — French rugby clubs are being urged by the government to postpone matches against British sides to lower the risk of being infected by a more...

Young rugby league player dies after falling ill at practice

Nov. 23, 2020 03:36 AM EST
SYDNEY (AP) — A 20-year-old player from the Manly Sea Eagles National Rugby League squad died in a hospital Monday after falling ill following practice. ...

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2020, file photo, Serbia's Novak Djokovic holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Austria's Dominic Thiem in the men's singles final of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. The political leader of Australia's Victorian state says Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, despite "incredibly complex" negotiations, he is confident January's Australian Open tennis tournament will proceed. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Premier confident Australian Open tennis will go ahead

Nov. 18, 2020 12:57 AM EST

FILE - In this Feb. 3, 2020, file photo, Serbia's Novak Djokovic holds his trophy after defeating Austria's Dominic Thiem in the men's singles final of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Australian Open chief executive Craig Tiley says he wants international tennis players arriving for January's first Grand Slam of 2021 to be exempt from a current 14-day hotel quarantines. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
Tennis hub to be centered in Melbourne for Australian Open

Nov. 15, 2020 06:42 PM EST

List 3/4 of sports events affected by coronavirus pandemic

By The Associated Press Nov. 09, 2020 04:31 PM EST
GYMNASTICS Artistic World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, from Feb. 20-23: China team withdrew. All-Around World Cup in...

Women wearing face masks push strollers past signage in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. Australia’s second largest city of Melbourne which was a coronavirus hotspot emerges from a nearly four-months lockdown, with restaurants, cafes and bars opening and outdoor contact sports resuming on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
No crowds for Melbourne Cup despite easing of restrictions

Oct. 28, 2020 02:06 AM EDT

List 3/4 of sports events affected by coronavirus pandemic

By The Associated Press Oct. 12, 2020 05:22 PM EDT
GYMNASTICS Artistic World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, from Feb. 20-23: China team withdrew. All-Around World Cup in...

Las Vegas Aces' Liz Cambage, of Australia, plays against the Washington Mystics during the first half of Game 4 of a WNBA playoff basketball series Sept. 24, 2019, in Las Vegas. The Australian Women's National Basketball League says, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020, because of restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the eight teams will relocate to Queensland state and operate in a bio-security bubble for the duration of the regular season. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Australian women's league moves north to Queensland

Oct. 08, 2020 10:41 PM EDT

New Zealand Warriors end pandemic-forced exile

Sep. 27, 2020 03:19 AM EDT
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — After 148 days separated from their families the New Zealand Warriors have played the last match of their season in Australia’s...

Australia's basketball league delays season start until 2021

Sep. 14, 2020 03:05 AM EDT
SYDNEY (AP) — The start of Australia’s National Basketball League has been pushed back to early 2021 because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. ...

FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2015, file photo, New Zealand's Julian Savea, right, is tacked by Australia's Tevita Kuridrani during their Rugby Championship match in Sydney. Australia is set to host the Rugby Championship in November and December after a late change of mind by governing body SANZAAR, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
Rugby Championship moved from New Zealand to Australia

By Steve Mcmorran Sep. 10, 2020 11:42 PM EDT

Sonny Bill Williams of the Sydney Roosters National Rugby League team passes a ball during a training session in Sydney, August 15, 2020. Ex-New Zealand All Blacks star Williams is set to play in the National Rugby League for the first time since 2014 after being included on the Roosters' interchange bench for a Grand Final rematch against the Canberra Raiders on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)
Sonny Bill Williams returns to Australian rugby league

Sep. 05, 2020 08:44 AM EDT

Roosters pick Sonny Bill Williams for NRL comeback v Raiders

Sep. 01, 2020 03:16 AM EDT
SYDNEY (AP) — Ex-New Zealand All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams is set to play in the National Rugby League for the first time since 2014 after being included...

Elliott Whitehead of the Canberra Raiders National Rugby League team raises his arms after his try was disallowed during a match against the Melbourne Storm in Canberra, Australia, July 11, 2020. Chinese telecom giant Huawei announced on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, it is ending its oldest major sporting sponsorship deal in the world when it ends its contract with the Canberra Raiders after nine years, blaming a "continued negative business environment." (Lukas CochAAP Image via AP)
Huawei ends sports sponsor deal over Australia 'trade war'

By Rod Mcguirk Aug. 30, 2020 10:55 PM EDT

Brisbane Broncos rugby league coach Anthony Seibold attends a media conference in Brisbane, Australia, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. Embattled Seibold quit as head coach of the Broncos after one of the most disastrous seasons in the history of the powerful club. (Darren England/AAP Image via AP)
Anthony Seibold quits as coach of NRL's Brisbane Broncos

Aug. 25, 2020 07:46 PM EDT

Langer ready for sacrifice, compromise to keep cricket going

By John Pye Aug. 20, 2020 01:40 AM EDT
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Justin Langer is ready to embrace change to keep his Australian cricket squad on the road. Bigger squads, a lot of compromise on...

Costly pub lunch for Broncos as NRL issues fine for breach

Aug. 18, 2020 03:53 AM EDT
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A simple pub lunch got a whole lot more expensive for the Brisbane Broncos when the National Rugby League fined the club and 10...