next year. Hoskins said South Africa wont accept anything le

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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. "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 ray ban wayfarer . Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., got the call to replace Raonic against sixth-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Canada needed a victory to force a deciding match in the best-of-five tie. ray ban wayfarer outlet . 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Santorelli, who was signed as free agent by Vancouver in the off-season after being cast adrift by three other NHL clubs, scored two goals and added an assist as the Canucks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1. ray ban sunglasses sale . -- Cliff Lee gave up a run in three innings, outpitching fellow Cy Young Award winner R.CARSON, Calif. -- The same crowd that cheered Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. into the ring booed him out of it 10 rounds later. After a yearlong layoff, his comeback fight had devolved into a disappointment for an overweight, rusty fighter. Chavez still beat Bryan Vera by unanimous decision Saturday night, and the notorious boxing scion chose to see the positives amid all of that negative energy. "I think its not a good night because people expect the knockout, but I think it was good fight," Chavez said. "I cant see him winning." Chavez (47-1-1) overcame weight struggles and a lively challenge from the unsung Vera to get the decision on all three judges scorecards. Judge Carla Caiz saw it 96-94, Marty Denkin scored it 97-93, and Gwen Adair favoured Chavez 98-92, giving Vera only the eighth and ninth rounds. Not many ringside observers agreed: The half-full StubHub Center crowd, which chanted Chavezs name during the fight, hated the decision and ripped Chavez as he left the ring. "I definitely won seven or eight rounds of the fight," Chavez said. "I was very close to knocking him out like three times in the fight." The Associated Press scored it 96-94 for Vera. The win capped a tumultuous stretch for Chavez, who hadnt fought since Sept. 15, 2012, when he received his first career defeat in a thrilling decision against middleweight king Sergio Martinez. After serving a nine-month drug suspension, Chavez missed the original 168-pound contract limit for his comeback bout with Vera. Chavez struggled just to get to the new 173-pound limit for Fridays weigh-in, looking sunken and drawn as he came in just under the limit. Vera (23-7) and his camp were furious with the verdict, feeling he outpointed Chavez with superior activity and aggression in the 10-round bout. Vera landed 176 of his 734 punches -- throwing more than twice as many as Chavez, who landed 125 of 328 -- while also landing more power shots than Chavez, whose face was swollen and cut by the final bell. "This is the best performance of my career," Vera said. "The weight was never an issue. The game plan was exactly what we did. I was never hurt during the fight." Vera was the aggressor from the opening bell, chasing Chavez around the ring and throwing twice the volume of punches. Chavez, who wouldnt step on HBOs scale before the fight, consistently backed up against his smaller opponent. But CChavez also landed his left hook consistently, setting up short right hands that turned Veras head.dddddddddddd The fight turned into a match of Chavezs power with Veras activity, and both fighters did damage -- although Vera dealt much more visible punishment, re-opening the cut that forced a three-week postponement of the fight. The sixth round was a corker, with both fighters trading big shots. Vera appeared to be winning the seventh round, cutting Chavez on the nose during a flurry against the ropes, but Chavez staggered him with a big left hook in the final seconds. Chavez complained repeatedly about head butts and low blows by Vera, who finished the final round aggressively and thrust his arms skyward at the final bell. "Every one of these judges needs to retire," said Veras trainer, Ronnie Shields. "It wasnt an easy fight for Bryan, but come on, Bryan won at least seven or eight rounds." No matter the decision, Chavez showed some rust and conditioning issues in his first bout since losing to Martinez. Chavez took a pounding in the first 11 rounds of that bout before staggering and nearly stopping Martinez in the 12th, possibly falling a few seconds shy of an upset victory. But Chavezs career hit the rocks shortly after that impressive moment. He tested positive for marijuana use, receiving a nine-month suspension and a hefty fine, and he split with respected trainer Freddie Roach and strength coach Alex Ariza. Chavez was ostensibly trained for this fight by his famous father, although the Hall of Famer watched the evenings opening bouts in a tuxedo while broadcasting for Mexican televisions Azteca Deportes. Chavez had hoped to return with another middleweight fight, but realized early in negotiations with Vera that he couldnt get down to 160 pounds any more. Chavez tried to make the super middleweight limit, but gave up several days ago -- and reportedly paid a hefty penalty to Vera on top of Veras $275,000 purse. Chavez, whose purse was $2.5 million, could afford it. Vera is the son and brother of boxers from Austin, Texas. He competed on the reality show "The Contender" before upsetting Andy Lee in 2008, leading to a decent career as a second-tier opponent for numerous 160-pound contenders. Vera revitalized his career in the past 18 months with victories in his last four bouts, including a surprise stoppage of Ukraines Sergiy Dzinziruk in January. ' ' '