World Rugby and NBC Sports Group have announced a seven-year partnership for exclusive rights to broadcast major international events in the sport in the United States.

semi-final and the final of the 2015 World Cup.Major tournaments set to be broadcast by NBC as part of the new

the US has gone past the 40 million people mark.The sport has grown in the US in recent years with New

Zealand, pictured, playing Ireland in an international match at Chicago's Soldier Field last year ©Getty

Zealand 40-29 at Chicago's Soldier Field in November while Saracens and London Irish played an English

Premiership match at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, last year.Premiership Rugby announced

Britain will not put forward a replacement for Adam Pengilly on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission when his eight-year terms ends next February. 

Commission.These are France, Zimbabwe, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Russia, South Korea, Australia, New

Zealand and Canada.Canada's former ice hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser is the only other current winter

European champions France showed why they are considered among the favourites to win the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea after opening their campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory over Honduras in Group E.

Group E saw Vietnam mark their debut at an 11-a-side FIFA tournament by picking up a 0-0 draw with New

Zealand.The newcomers had the better of the chances with New Zealand goalkeeper Michael Woud being called

World Rugby has announced the dates and venues for the 10 rounds of the men's 2017-2018 World Rugby Sevens Series.

includes just one change from last season, as Hamilton takes over from Wellington as the home of the New

Zealand event in February.Next season's schedule will also accommodate the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth

excitement ahead of Rugby Sevens World Cup 2018 in San Francisco, which promises to be a huge event as New

through the Series in London.The Pacific islanders beat Russia to the final place by 22 points.New Zealand

England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Ian Ritchie has announced he will retire from his role at the end of the summer.

Ian Ritchie oversaw the delivery of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, where New Zealand triumphed

Two-time Olympic champion Lisa Carrington and team-mate Aimee Fisher secured a hat-trick of gold medals together on a superb day at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Sprint World Cup in Montemor-o-Velho in Portugal.

The New Zealand duo paddled together to a K2 200 and 500 metres double before teaming up with yesterday's

Aspall has been announced as the official cider partner of the 2017 International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy.

cricket.The eight nation event will take place between June 1 and 18.Hosts England will clash with Australia, New

Zealand and Bangladesh in Group A.India, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka will contest Group B.The

All of us here at Aspall are thrilled to be a new partner of this prestigious event," said Des Smith,

Saatchi & Saatchi has been appointed by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) as their agency

The New Zealand based branch of the agency will work with the NZOC on their entire communications strategy

with campaigns to support its Winter Olympic team at Pyeongchang 2018.Attention will then turn to the New

Zealand Commonwealth Games team, who will be competing in Gold Coast in April 2018.The deal will also

Zealand and the world."

Sharon and her team have an exciting vision for the brand here in New Zealand and we are delighted to

African champions Zambia made an excellent start to their FIFA Under-20 World Cup campaign today after beating two-time winners Portugal 2-1 in Group C at the Jeju World Cup Stadium. 

tomorrow when Groups E and F get underway.Group E sees France face Honduras and Vietnam go up against New

Zealand at the Cheonan Sports Complex.Ecuador's clash with the United States and Saudi Arabia's meeting

England and New Zealand produced emphatic displays on the first day of the final World Rugby Sevens Series

trailed 17-19 to Samoa before Alex Davis went crashing over the line to score the winning try.New Zealand

pool stages with a disappointing 12-24 loss to the United States.The other quarter-finals will see New

Zealand play Scotland, the US take on Australia and Argentina face Canada.Fiji, who last failed to reach

Johanne Defay of France was the standout performer on the first day of action at the 2017 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games here in Biarritz.

scored 11.40 to win heat eight.Other competitors to impress on the first day included Ella Williams of New

Zealand and Costa Rica's Leilani McGonagle.Williams posted a score of 14.03 to finish first in heat

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has assigned hosts for 27 tournaments on its 2018 World Championship programme.

 Other less traditional hosts include Mexico City and Queenstown in New Zealand, which have been

World Championships Division III Group B on unspecified dates in March.The programme also includes two new

France and Portugal are among the favourites for success at the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea, where action is scheduled to begin tomorrow.

Germain forward Jean-Kévin Augustin in their ranks, have been drawn in Group E alongside Honduras, New

Zealand and Vietnam.Two-time tournament winners Portugal have been placed in Group C, along with Costa

trialled at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.Should there be extra-time and penalties, further new

fourth substitution and, if two hours of football cannot separate them, penalties will be taken in a new

Samoa will be hoping to secure a 2018 Rugby Sevens World Cup qualification berth at the final round of World Rugby Sevens Series event in London this weekend.

would need to win the tournament to gain 22 series points, which would be their first ever victory.New Zealand

Stadium in London ©Getty ImagesFrance have been drawn in Pool B with Scotland, Argentina and RussiaNew Zealand

overall series title in Paris last time out.The Blitzboks knew they could not be caught after they beat New

Zealand in the semi-finals before going on to wrap up the tournament by beating Scotland 15-5 at the

Three races will make their debut on the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Sprint World Cup circuit this weekend as the season begins in Montemor-o-Velho in Portugal.

The World Cup officially starts the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle for canoeing, with new events set to feature

The start of a new Olympic cycle always brings with it excitement and anticipation," said Jose Perurena

Lisa Carrington is expected to be one of the canoeists testing out a different boat in Portugal.The New

Zealand star has won K1 200m gold at the last two Olympic Games, but is poised to compete in K4 competitions

this weekend.Her participation comes as New Zealand look to achieve success in the K4 500m at the Tokyo