A prestigious chamber music contest returns to Waikato University in November.

Wellington, Nov 2 NZPA - England reject Ravi Bopara has been picked up by Auckland for the domestic cricket season.Unlike most overseas professionals signed by other teams, Bopara will play all three forms of the game for his new province.

Wellington, Nov 2 NZPA - Pakistan cricketer Yasir Arafat has been signed as Otago's overseas professional for the domestic limited overs competitions this summer.

The opening round of the 2009/10 BNT V8s Championship will commence this coming weekend with Round 1 set to fire at Pukekohe Park Raceway near Auckland.

If All Blacks rugby fans had to pick a rugby team to have as the AB's current bunnies then the Wallabies would be right up there. Only England would be a realistic chance of knocking the Wallabies out of first

Wellington, Nov 2 NZPA - New Zealand's wheelchair rugby team are looking to erase their Beijing Paralympics disappointment at this week's Asia-Oceania zone championships in Christchurch.

After the disappointment of finishing fifth in the Beijing Paralympics, the New Zealand wheelchair rugby team is looking to atone for that failure when it competes in the IWAS Wheelchair Rugby Asia-Oceania Zone Championships in Christchurch starting on Wednesday.

The Mizuno Half Marathons continue to contribute to the Taupo community donating over $10,000 to Bike Taupo and $6,000 to young Taupo athletes to help them achieve their goals.

ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010 may still be nearly six months away but the Caribbean is nearing "event mode".

After 950km of competitive stage the Targa Life Challenge Team of Ron Scanlan and Victor Yuen have finished the event on a high.

Hussey replaces Yuvraj in second place as India fast bowlers are on a charge

Bangladesh fast bowler Dollar Mahmud was fined 15 per cent of his match fee for a breach of the ICC Code of Conduct during his team's second ODI against Zimbabwe at Mirpur on Thursday.

New Zealand racing driver Matt Halliday has won the Rookie Trophy for the 2009 Porsche Mobil Supercup after a rewarding weekend in the final two rounds held in Abu Dhabi over the weekend.

Finalists for the 2009 Central Energy Trust Manawatu Sportsperson of the Year Awards have been announced, with nine local faces in the running to become this year's award winner.

Wellington, Nov 2 NZPA - New Zealand are referring to their notes and subsequent defeat of Pakistan in last month's Champions Trophy to prepare for the one-day international cricket series starting in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday morning (NZT).

By Mark Geenty of NZPATokyo, Nov 2 NZPA - The All Blacks arrive in Cardiff today shorn of two key players and braced for more hi-jinks from Welsh rugby officials in a tricky buildup to the second test of their

By Mark Geenty of NZPATokyo, Nov 1 NZPA - Cory Jane ticked both boxes; master of the one-liner and bona fide All Blacks rugby winger after another impressive display against the Wallabies.

By Daniel Gilhooly of NZPAWellington, Nov 1 NZPA - It's time for Wanganui to jump into a bigger rugby pond, according to their successful coach Guy Lennox.

Wellington, Nov 1 NZPA - Having been up close and personal with both Air NZ Cup rugby finalists, Southland halfback Scott Cowan is well placed to offer an insider's take on the likely outcome of the final next Saturday.

Tokyo, Nov 1 NZPA - List of leading All Blacks pointscorers in test rugby:Andrew Mehrtens 967 (70 tests, 7 tries, 169 conversions, 188 penalties, 10 dropped goals)DANIEL CARTER 952 (63 tests, 25 tries, 163 con, 165 pen, 2 dg)