CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- South Africa must have six clubs in Super Rugby from 2016 or it will "look north," South African Rugby Union President Oregan Hoskins says, a clear threat the country will approach European competition if the southern hemisphere cant accommodate its terms. cheap jerseys from china . "If we dont have six teams, we might as well shut doors," Hoskins was quoted as saying by the South African Press Association and the Pretoria News in probably the strongest comments yet that SARU is willing to break up the 17-year-old southern hemisphere agreement that has been in place since rugby became openly professional. South Africa was forced to relegate one of its teams in favour of another in 2012 after SANZAR, which sanctions international rugby in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, refused to expand the three-nation, 15-team Super Rugby competition. All three countries have five clubs in Super Rugby. That opened up SARU to fierce criticism at home when it dropped the Johannesburg-based Lions at the last minute after promising the new Port Elizabeth-based Southern Kings a Super Rugby place for 2013 without any guarantee of an expansion from SANZAR. The Kings lost a promotion-relegation playoff with the Lions at the end of this season, with the teams changing places again for next year. Hoskins said South Africa wont accept anything less than six teams when a new deal and a restructured format is expected after the 2015 season. "As far as I am concerned, it is not even an issue for us, it is six or nothing when the new broadcast deal comes into effect," Hoskins told SAPA and the Pretoria newspaper on Monday. The comments were carried by the Pretoria News on Tuesday. "People didnt believe us when we said how serious it was until we had to forsake one of our provinces out of the Super Rugby," the SARU president said. "We have to do everything it takes to ensure our teams play in whatever competition. If it is not SANZAR then we have to look north." South Africa hinted at breaking away from New Zealand and Australia in 2009, when negotiations began on the current five-year TV rights deal starting in 2011. For the new 15th club, an arbitrator was needed to choose the Melbourne Rebels to satisfy Australian TV rights over a stronger bid from the Southern Kings. Hoskins threat could carry more impact this time with developments in the northern hemisphere, where English and French clubs are leading efforts to leave the European Heineken Cup competition and form another tournament. Welsh clubs last week backed the move. Hoskins also said South Africa brought more money to Super Rugby than its southern hemisphere partners, therefore enforcing its worth. "South Africa is the partner and the brand which is the biggest in the southern hemisphere in terms of commercial value, brand value, bums on seats, television viewership, the number of players we have, et cetera," Hoskins said. "So I am hoping that we are being accommodated within SANZAR. We are being told that we are being accommodated." SANZAR hasnt indicated how it might incorporate a sixth team from South Africa with the tournament currently separated into three national conferences of five teams, but Hoskins said he favoured going to 18 clubs, with six each from South Africa and New Zealand, five still from Australia and the inclusion of a team from Argentina, which joined SANZARs Rugby Championship last year. cheap jerseys from china free shipping . After Toronto Mayor Rob Ford addressed the media on Monday sporting Franklins orange Broncos jersey, Franklin was asked his thoughts on being supported by the controversial politician. cheap jerseys from china paypal .C. -- The president of Major League Soccer says hes "a firm believer" there are markets in the Southeast that would support a team from his league.LOS ANGELES -- The struggling Los Angeles Kings wont play another game for 20 days because of the Olympic break. That will give them plenty of time to savour Robyn Regehrs first career overtime goal and try to figure out how to score more often. The 33-year-old defenceman connected 2:33 into the extra session, giving the Kings a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night after a 10-game stretch in which Los Angeles was 1-8-1. It was only the eighth goal by the Kings in a span of eight games, including a 5-3 loss to Chicago on Monday. "Its important that we got a win," captain Dustin Brown said. "This team has been struggling and were trying to find a way to break through. Going on a two-week break with a taste of a win in our mouths is important, and it feels good. We have a good team here. Its just a matter of fighting our way through it." Jonathan Quick outdueled fellow Olympic goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky with 24 saves and Jake Muzzin scored the tying goal early in the third period, helping Los Angeles end a four-game losing streak. Bobrovsky, last seasons Vezina Trophy winner, stopped 18 shots and lost for just the third time in 13 starts. Jack Johnson scored Columbus goal during a power play early in the first period. Regehr used teammate Jeff Carter and Blue Jackets defenceman Denis Savard as a screen before slapping his second goal of the season past Bobrovsky from the top of the left circle. Both of his goals have come against Columbus. "The guys gave me a hard time before the game about scoring that goal on these guys a couple weeks ago in their building, and I just got a good opportunity tonight," said Regehr, who played in his 1,000th regular-season game Saturday. "Mike (Richards) did a great job at locking the puck up the wall in overtime, Jeff was doing a really good job with the screen, and it was just a matter of putting the puck on the net after that." The Kings, 0-for-6 on the power play, got the equalizer with 16:51 left in regulation and the teams skating four-on-four. Muzzin cruised down the slot and converted Anze Kopitars centring pass for his fourth goal after staggered penalties to Columbus Nikita Nikitin for hooking and Slava Voynov for tripping. "Our team played a very strong road game tonight," Johansen said. "Credit to L.A., they really stuck to their game and ffound a way to win. cheap jerseys from china wholesale. Theyre a big-bodied team over there. We had to match the physicality, and I thought our team toughness in here showed out on the ice. Our guys played a hard and heavy game, but Quick made a few big saves on us." Quick, 10-2-0 in his last 12 games against Columbus, is one of six Kings players who will go to the Olympics -- along with equipment manager Darren Granger. "You want all the guys that are going over there to play in the gold medal game, because they deserve it," coach Darryl Sutter said. For the second straight game, the Kings gave up a power-play goal in the first 2 minutes. Johnson got a cross-ice pass from Ryan Johansen in the right circle and beat Quick to the glove side with a 35-foot wrist shot while Tyler Toffoli was off for hooking. It was only the second goal in 53 games and fourth this season for Johnson, who was acquired by Columbus in a trade that sent Carter to Los Angeles in February 2012. The Kings, who were outshot 10-2 in the opening period, got their first power-play opportunity 1:50 before intermission. But the final 38 seconds of the man advantage were negated when they were assessed another bench minor for too many men. Another Kings power play was cut short early in the second period, when Brown was sent off for charging with 14 seconds left on Brandon Dubinskys goalie interference penalty. Los Angeles next power play came at 9:21 of the second, after R.J. Umbergers delay-of-game penalty. But Quick had to be sharp to thwart rapid-fire short-handed attempts by Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov just outside the crease. "We didnt have the start that we wanted to in the game, and weve been on a terrible run here in the last month. So were really happy to get this win," Regehr said. "It was a very important game for us. Now we can enjoy the break, then come back and get to work." NOTES: Former Kings broadcaster Pete Weber is in a St. Paul, Minn., hospital after undergoing a successful heart procedure. Weber currently is the TV play-by-play man for the Nashville Predators. ... All four Blue Jackets players who will be competing at the Sochi Olympics were born in Russia -- Bobrovsky, Tyutin, Anisimov and Nikitin. Slovakian-born RW Marian Gaborik, a two-time Olympian, withdrew Thursday due to his slow recovery from a broken collarbone that occurred on Dec. 21 and required surgery. ' ' '
