Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - Tom Brady is returning to the Super Bowl for the 10th time after helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the host Green Bay Packers 31-26 in the NFC Championship game.

Brady threw three touchdowns and completed 20 of 36 passes for 280 yards and survived three second-half interceptions.

Shaquil Barrett recorded three sacks and Jason Pierre-Paul added two as the Buccaneers built a 17-point lead en route to reaching the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history.

Tampa Bay also reached the big game in the 2002 season and walloped the then-Oakland Raiders 48-21 for its only Super Bowl title.

The Buccaneers will become the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium with the game set for Feb. 7 in Tampa, Fla.

They will play the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat the Buffalo Bills 38-24 in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City.

The Chiefs are attempting to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

- Reuters

Olympic shot put champion starts 2021 in style

American Ryan Crouser has broken the long-standing indoor shot put world record.

The Olympic champion has thrown an almighty 22.82m in the opening round of the American Track League meeting in Fayetteville.

It was 16 centimetres further than the mark recorded by compatriot Randy Barnes in 1989.

Crouser recorded two other throws in excess of 22 metres.

All three were further than reigning world champion Tom Walsh has thrown indoors.

Walsh opened his year with a best throw of 20.78 metres at the Potts Classic in Hastings at the weekend.

Phoenix remain winless

The Wellington Phoenix have been beaten 2-1 by the Newcastle Jets in Wollongong to remain winless three games into the new A-League season.

The Jets opened their account in style, with Valentino Yuel and Roy O'Donovan scoring two goals against the run of play to give Newcastle a 2-0 lead early in the second-half.

Ulises Davila scored a late consolation goal for the Phoenix from the penalty spot.

Wellington's now winless from their past eight matches stretching back to last season.

The Phoenix sit second to last in the 12 team competition, above only the Melbourne Victory, who've played just two matches.

Defending champions lead Twenty20 standings

Wellington's men's and women's Twenty20 teams have both become the first to qualify for this year's finals.

Champions for the past three seasons, Wellington Blaze did it in style - by chalking up the biggest winning margin (by runs) in the team's T20 history, beating the Otago Sparks at the Basin Reserve by 122 runs (DLS).

Set up by White Ferns Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr with the bat, and finished off by a stunning, career best four-for from teenage spinner Xara Jetly (4-9), the victory took Blaze to 24 points on the table, with a 6-1 record, assuring them of a top three qualifier spot.

Unlike the Blaze, the Firebirds chose to bowl first at the Basin, but they likewise dominated their southern visitors from the outset, thanks to a standout performance from tall young quick Ben Sears (4-21).

The Volts fought hard in the field to try to defend their scratchy 137/9, but even three big wickets up front from Mitch McClenaghan, and a stunning Nathan Smith catch, was not enough to stop the hosts from charging home with two overs to spare.

Like the Blaze before them, the Firebirds moved to 24 points and a 6-1 record, with three games in their regular season still to come.

Both Wellington teams will host their Canterbury counterparts at the Basin Reserve on Monday.

Miserly Milne at his best in Australia

Former Black Caps paceman Adam Milne has produced the second most economical bowling display in the history of the Australian Big Bash Twenty20 cricket competition.

Milne conceded just six runs from his four overs in the Sydney Thunder's match against the Adelaide Strikers in Adelaide.

Former Australian left-armer Mitchell Johnson tops the competition's economy list with figures of three for three.

Milne also took a wicket and ran out Strikers captain Travis Head.

He didn't concede a boundary from his 25 balls, of which 20 were dot balls.

Milne helped restrict Adelaide to 159 for six from their 20 overs, but the Sydney Thunder's run chase fell short at 153 for seven.

The Thunder sit fourth in the Big Bash League standings with one round to play.

England captain torments Sri Lanka

Joe Root became the first England batsman to score over 150 in consecutive tests in 16 years as he tormented Sri Lanka and led his side to 339 for nine in their first innings at the close of play on day three of the second and final test in Galle.

However, the tired and cramping England captain was dismissed in the final over of the day for 186, run out after clipping the ball to short leg Oshada Fernando.

Root's weariness did not allow him to get back into his crease having pushed forward after playing the stroke.

England still trail by 42 runs and will seek to wipe out the deficit with Jack Leach and James Anderson at the crease on the fourth morning, although Sri Lanka spinner Lasith Embuldeniya has been excellent with career best figures of 7-132.

Root followed up his 228 in the first test to match the feat of Marcus Trescothick, who scored 194 and 151 in consecutive tests against Bangladesh in 2005.

- Reuters

Milestone win for Ogier in Monte Carlo

Seven-times world rally champion Sebastien Ogier celebrated the 50th victory of his career by winning the Monte Carlo season-opener for a record eighth time.

The Frenchman, who was born and grew up in Gap where the rally is based, beat Welsh team mate Elfyn Evans by 32.6 seconds in a Toyota one-two.

Last year's winner Thierry Neuville of Belgium denied the Japanese manufacturer a podium sweep with third place for Hyundai.

Ogier, whose eight wins have been with five different manufacturers, had previously been level with compatriot and nine-times world champion Sebastien Loeb with seven Monte Carlo rally wins each.

One of Ogier's wins, in 2009, came when the rally was part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge rather than the world championship.

- Reuters