Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - the Blues hooker Kurt Eklund has been suspended for three weeks after pleading guilty to a foul play charge arising from the Blues loss to the Crusaders in Super Rugby Aotearoa at the weekend.

Eklund was cited for a lifting tackle on Crusaders winger Sevu Reece and his suspension means he'll miss the Blues upcoming matches against the Chiefs, the Hurricanes and the Highlanders.

The SANZAAR foul play committee ruled the incident warranted a mid-range six week suspension but taking into account Eklund's guilty plea and having no prior offences on his record a three week ban was implemented.

Meanwhile Highlanders lock Pari Pari Parkinson has extended his contract for one more year through to 2022.

He first played for the Highlanders in 2018 but due to form and injury has only clocked up 16 games.

Coll beats former world number one

New Zealand squash player Paul Coll is into the quarter-finals of the Black Ball Open in Cairo, after beating former world number one Gregory Gaultier.

Coll, who is ranked fourth in the world, beat the veteran Frenchman 3-1 to take his place in the last eight.

For the Kiwi the match meant more than just a win.

"That was one of the best highlights of my career. I look up to Gaultier a lot and that moment at the end when he just gave me a pat on the head there, that was huge for me," said Coll.

"I loved every second out there. I went and trained with him early in my career, he taught me a lot and he taught me some more lessons today. Enjoyed every second of that."

Coll will now face sixth seed Marwan El Shorbagy of Egypt in the quarters who he has a 2-3 win/loss record against.

Elgin Baylor dies

Former Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers forward Elgin Baylor died of natural causes at the age of 86.

Baylor, the number one draft pick in 1958 and Rookie of the Year in 1959, spent 14 seasons with the Lakers. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame and was considered one of the greatest players to never win a championship.

A gifted shooter and rebounder despite his 6 ft 5 in frame, Baylor still held the record for most individual points in a single game in the NBA Finals when he scored 61 points against Lakers' arch rivals, the Boston Celtics, in 1962.

Baylor's number 22 jersey was retired and hangs in the rafters of Staples Center while the 11-times NBA All-Star was immortalized in a statue that stands outside the arena.

-Reuters

Hayne faces jail time

Australian rugby league international Jarryd Hayne is facing jail after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at her home in New South Wales in 2018.

Hayne, a twice National Rugby League player-of-the-year, had denied wrongdoing, saying the incident in the woman's bedroom at her home in Newcastle had been consensual.

The jury at Sydney District Court found him guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

The 33-year-old was found not guilty of more serious charges of sexual intercourse without consent, while recklessly inflicting actual bodily harm.

Hayne, who faces a maximum possible sentence of 14 years in jail, will have a sentencing hearing on May 6 in Newcastle District Court.

The verdict comes after his first trial in Newcastle ended in a hung jury in December.

-Reuters

Wales Rugby condemns online abuse

The Welsh Rugby Union has condemned the online abuse directed at their players following last weekend's Six Nations defeat by France that ended their Six Nations Grand Slam bid.

Brice Dulin scored a stoppage-time try to seal a 32-30 home victory over Wales, denying Wayne Pivac's side a second Grand Slam in three years.

The WRU shared a photo of the abusive messages sent to one of its players on Instagram and Twitter after the defeat.

"The abuse players are receiving has to stop," the WRU said.

France Rugby also condemned the abuse, tweeting: "This is not the true spirit of sport and this has to stop."

Wales, who have played all their games, lead the table with 20 points, five above France in third. The French can win the title if they beat Scotland by at least 21 points with a bonus point in their rescheduled game this weekend.

-Reuters

No foreign volunteers at Olympics

Tokyo Olympic organisers say Japan will not allow in volunteers from overseas except for some who are deemed essential, after it decided to bar international spectators amid public concerns over the novel coronavirus.

Athletes' families are also likely to be barred although organisers have yet to make a decision, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said.

Muto said the decision on volunteers was regrettable but that organisers wanted to decide now so there would not be confusion for those people overseas who were waiting for a decision.

Organisers decided at the weekend not to allow in foreign spectators during the Games and would refund some 600,000 Olympic tickets and another 30,000 Paralympic tickets purchased by overseas residents.

Volunteers take care of everything from translating and guiding people to driving visitors around and venue management. A rich part of the Olympic tradition, they range from university students to retirees and come from all around the world.

Muto said exceptions would be made for volunteers with expert and specialised knowledge about specific sports and that these people would receive individual notifications.

-Reuters

Marquez to miss opener

Six-times world motorcycle champion Marc Marquez will not race in the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix as he continues to recover from an arm injury sustained last season.

Marquez fractured his humerus in the 2020 season-opening Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez last July, after the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted the original calendar, and did not race again all year.

The 28-year-old Spaniard has since undergone three surgeries, with Honda saying the doctors advised against hastening his return to the track and will conduct another medical check on April 12.

The opening race in Qatar takes place on Sunday with the second round, the Grand Prix of Doha, also at the same circuit on April 4.

-Reuters

McLaren sign up youngster

The McLaren F1 team has signed a long-term agreement with 13-year-old American karter Ugo Ugochukwu to support him through the junior categories of motorsport.

New York-born Ugochukwu won last year's European FIA OKJ European kart championship after taking a string of titles in the United States.

"We've been watching Ugo's progress with interest, so when the opportunity to sign an agreement with him became available, we had no hesitation moving on it," said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown in a statement.

McLaren's most famous junior signing was Britain's Lewis Hamilton, now a seven times world champion, who was backed by the Woking team and Mercedes from the age of 13 and made his F1 debut in 2007.

Hamilton won his first F1 title with McLaren in 2008 and moved to Mercedes in 2013.

-Reuters