Football | Gaungzhou R&F beats Mariners to reach Asian Champions League

Jiang Ning and Liu Lin scored a goal in each half to give Chinese club Gaungzhou R&F a 3-1 win over the Central Coast Mariners yesterday and a spot in the Asian Champions League. Ning opened the scoring at Central Coast Stadium in the eight minute and Lui made it 2-0 in the 57th. Central Coast defender Joshua Rose compounded the Mariners’ woes with an own goal in the 89th.
Glen Trifiro scored a consolation goal for the Mariners in the second minute of added time.
Guangzhou joins Japan’s Gamba Osaka, South Korean side Seongnam FC, and Buriram United of Thailand in Group F of the Asian Champions League, with its first game of the competition at Osaka next Tuesday.

Rugby | Scotland lock Gray out of the 6 Nations with arm injury

Scotland lock Richie Gray has been ruled out of the rest of the Six Nations with an upper arm injury sustained in the 26-23 loss to Wales at Murrayfield. The 25-year-old Gray will be out for 12 weeks and will miss the remaining matches against Italy, England and Ireland. The news is a further blow to Scotland after prop Jon Welsh was ruled out of the competition with a fractured hand.

Golf | Love to return as Ryder Cup captain

Davis Love III is getting another chance as captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Two people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press yesterday the PGA of America has selected Love as captain for the 2016 matches at Hazeltine. They spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been announced. Golf Channel first reported that Love will be the next captain. He is to be introduced on Feb. 24, when the Honda Classic is held at PGA headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Love led the Americans to a 10-6 lead at Medinah in 2012 until Ian Poulter and Europe staged an improbable rally and matched the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history.