Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - All Whites striker Chris Wood has scored his first goal for Newcastle, helping them to a 2-1 win over Southampton in the Premier League.

It was Wood's first goal in his eighth appearance for Newcastle who move on to 31 points, 10 points above the relegation zone.

Chelsea put their off-pitch worries to one side as they beat a plucky Norwich City side 3-1 at Carrow Road to consolidate third place.

Chelsea, whose fans sang Abramovich's name throughout the match, are on 56 points from 27 games and moved eight points clear of Arsenal, who are fourth but have two games in hand. Norwich stay bottom.

Wolverhampton Wanderers scored three times in the opening 21 minutes as woeful Watford proved their own worst enemies in a 4-0 defeat at Molineux, leaving the visitors firmly stuck in the Premier League relegation zone.

Wolves, who had lost their last three games, remained in eighth place in the table with 43 points from 28 matches, while Watford are second-bottom with 19 points.

Leeds United remain firmly embroiled in a Premier League relegation battle after they slipped to a 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa.

Leeds are just two points above the drop zone, while Villa improve to ninth.

More freeski and snowboard medals

Two more medals for New Zealand snow sports athletes at the Park and Pipe Junior World Championships in Switzerland.

15 year old Cam Melville Ives of Wanaka claimed the silver medal in the Snowboard Slopestyle and 18 year old Luca Harrington of Wanaka claimed silver in the Freeski Big Air.

Melville Ives laced together a front 1080, back 1260 and a switch back 1260 on the jumps, the first time he has landed this technical combination in competition.

Harrington executed a triple 1620 with a safety grab and a huge switch double 1800 with a lead tail grab.

Gustav Legnavsky won the freeski halpipe earlier this week.

Chiefs hold on against Matatu

Chiefs Manawa have won the opening game of the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki competition 17-15 over Matatu in Hamilton.

Chiefs Manawa were ahead 17-10 at halftime and no further points were scored until after the final siren.

Matatu nearly sent the to game to golden point with a late try for Amy Rule, but they could not convert it and fell just short in their Super Rugby debut.

Chiefs Manawa's prop Angel Mulu scored the first ever try of the competition when she crossed the line in the seventh minute, with Ruby Tui and Kennedy Simon scoring the Chiefs Manawa's other tries.

Pip Love, Grace Steinmetz and Amy Rule scored Matatu's tries.

The competition is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.

Panthers impress

The Panthers have started the defence of their NRL Premiership with an emphatic 28-6 win over Manly in Penrith.

The Panthers had no problems covering the loss of star half Nathan Cleary to start the the season in style.

After two early no-tries due to obstruction, Penrith finally made some early dominance count when young centre Izack Tago carried four defenders over the line in the 19th minute.

They scored another try to lead 12-6 at half time and added three more tries in the second half.

Tonight the Raiders play the Sharks and the Broncos play the Rabbitohs.

The Warriors play the Dragons tomorrow.

Kiwis slide out at Paralympics

Both Corey Peters and Aaron Ewan failed to finished the Giant Slalom at the Beijing Winter Paralypics.

Peters, who had already won gold and silver at the games, failed to get past the third gate in the first, while Ewan failed to finish his second run.

In run one, at the third gate, his got rotated and his tail washed out. Peters explained that the course wasn't his favoured style, as he prefers the speed events.

"I know I can ski better than that. I prefer the Downhill and the Super-G, those are my events. I prefer to just ski straight and turn less!" he explains laughing.

Ewan, disappointed to rank 23rd after the first run, he took a bolder approach on run two.

"I was a bit devo after the first run, so I went in a bit more angry, wanted to push it."

There are no New Zealanders in action today, with Adam Hall defending his standing slalom title tomorrow, while Ewan is also in the sitting slalom.

Russia out, Georgia into Rugby World Cup

Georgia have qualified for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France as a result of Russia being banned from international competition due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's invasion has led to sanctions across global sport, and Belarus, a key staging area for the offensive, has also been punished.

World Rugby, which banned Russia and Belarus on Feb. 28 and suspended the Rugby Union of Russia's membership, said that the ban meant Russia could not play its remaining World Cup qualifying matches in the 2022 European Championship.

"Therefore these matches will be treated as abandoned," World Rugby said, adding that the updated standings meant that Georgia had sealed its spot at the World Cup.

-Reuters

Matsuyama out of Players Championship

A lingering back injury has forced Masters reigning champion Hideki Matsuyama to withdraw from The Players Championship in Florida.

First alternate Patrick Rodgers replaced Matsuyama in the field at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Rodgers joined a threesome that includes Chile's Joaquin Niemann and Australian Cameron Smith in teeing off on the 10th hole today.

Matsuyama, 30, became the first Japanese man to win a major when he emerged victorious at Augusta National last April. He also won the Zozo Championship in Japan in October and the Sony Open in Hawaii three months later.

New Zealander Danny Lee is playing in the tournament.

Barrett feared concusion could force him to retire

All Blacks first five Beauden Barrett said he feared he might be forced to retire due to lingering concussion symptoms following a head injury sustained in a match against Ireland in November.

The two-times world player of the year left the field after a heavy challenge in New Zealand's 29-20 loss in Dublin and did not feature in their final match of last year against France.

After nearly three months of recovery, Barrett returned to Super Rugby last week for the first time since 2020 as a second-half replacement for the Blues against the Chiefs and said he was relieved to be back.

"I'm well aware of how concussion can lead to retirement if it doesn't work out. Kane, my brother, had to give up his career because of it. I see plenty of good friends and team mates have done the same in the past," Barrett told the New Zealand Herald.

"I tried to stay positive -- I'm usually a very optimistic person. I was trying to find alternative ways to get on top of things, and I did that.

"It's probably the closest I've been to retirement and I wasn't ready for it. I'm only 30, and I've still got plenty to give. Being back fit and healthy, I'm grateful to be here now and hopefully contribute well to the Blues this season."

Barrett will start at number 10 for the Blues against the Highlanders tonight.

-Reuters

Warner hopes to get to memorial

Australia opening batsman David Warner is hoping to race home from the test series in Pakistan to pay tribute to Shane Warne at the spin bowling great's memorial service in Melbourne.

Warne died from a suspected heart attack last Friday at the age of 52 while on holiday on the Thailand island of Koh Samui.

He will be buried at a private family funeral and a state memorial service will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the evening of March 30.

The third and final test of the series in Lahore will finish on March 25 if it lasts the full five days.

"He's always stuck by me, and every time I've engaged with him in any way he's always asked me to come for a beer, come to dinner, and wanted to give advice and help," Warner said.

"I'll be trying to get down there (for the memorial service)."

The opening test in Rawalpindi ended in a dull draw, triggering criticism of the lifeless pitch. The second test starts in Karachi on Saturday.

-Reuters

Ukranians protest in Beijing

Ukrainian athletes and officials have made an appeal for peace at the Beijing Winter Paralympics, unfurling a banner, observing a minute of silence and appealing for an end to the war triggered by Russia's invasion of their country.

Led by national paralympic committee president Valerii Sushkevych, the entire 20-member delegation held up a "peace for all" message, accompanied by raised fists.

"This one minute is about the thousands of people, including children and others with disabilities, back in Ukraine," said Sushkevych. "If mankind is civilised, then this war must be stopped. People, women and children deserve to live, not die."

Ukraine have thrived at the Paralympics despite almost not making it to the Chinese capital because of the war, claiming six gold medals to sit third in the table behind hosts China and Canada.

Teams from Russia and Belarus, which has been a key staging area for Russian forces, were not allowed to take part.

-Reuters