EDINBURGH was the place to be yesterday when it came to announcements, albeit a couple that we knew were on the cards well in advance of them breaking.

One was Ian Cathro departing as Hearts head coach. Two was quite literally all about two, with confirmation of a couple of clubs from South Africa – The Cheetahs and The Southern Kings – being added to the Guinness PRO12 league, conveniently rebranded, to avoid too much confusion, to the PRO14.

From its inception, expansion was always an option for the 12 member clubs from Ireland, Wales, Italy and Scotland. And, the benefits of finding new markets to feed into – or maybe that should be feed from – was reiterated yesterday by Dominic McKay, Scottish Rugby’s chief operating officer.

“We are delighted we have the ownership of Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby, and as a result of that, we are able to steward some new and innovative ideas. One of the ideas we’ve been pushing along with our colleagues in Ireland and Wales is to expand the Guinness PRO14 in to new territories,” said McKay.

“We’ve also got access to a really important and vibrant commercial market in South Africa. With the growth of television, and with the growth of sponsorship, we see that as being very beneficial for Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby.

“So, in the coming years ahead, both clubs will want to capitalise on those opportunities, which means they can filter that investment and that growth of revenues back in to the playing side and hopefully attract – and retain, as we have done in recent years – the best talent.”

McKay also confirmed that local traditions were still a key part of the new venture.

“The derbies between Glasgow and Edinburgh will be retained. That rivalry will be continued and, indeed, I think expanded.

“But fans enjoy travelling and I am sure there will be a few of the Glasgow and Edinburgh's will think about travelling down to South Africa, and I know there are many South Africans here in the UK who will want to come and support their clubs around Wales, Ireland and Scotland.”

Just how many head for the Cape remains to be seen. Given that some European sojourns have been planned like the Normandy Landings, adventuring even further afield won’t be too scary a concept for some.

However, it is on their own doorstep that fans will benefit most, with the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings adding some much-needed freshness to the league. But if adding another two clubs to the current format would appear an easy task, the mechanics of it all makes the SPFL’s set-up look simple.

The 14 are divided into two groups based on last season's results, with the Ospreys, Cardiff Blues, Munster, Connacht, Glasgow, Zebre and the Cheetahs in Conference A.

Last season's champions Scarlets, Dragons, Leinster, Ulster, Edinburgh, Treviso and the Southern Kings will line up in Conference B. Now keep up, because here comes the difficult part.

Teams will play each other home and away in their own section and face sides out of their own conference once. The 21-game season will be completed by two additional rounds of matches, ensuring Welsh and Irish teams retain their current six derbies each.

The Scottish, Italian and South African sides will play each other three times, while the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and Southern Kings, who play in Port Elizabeth, and had already withdrawn from next year's Super Rugby tournament, will play only on Saturdays, with five travel-free days before matches.

The South African franchises, unsurprisingly, will not be able to qualify for Europe through their league placing.

Got it? Well there’s more.

The top three non-South African sides from each conference will qualify for the European Champions Cup, and the team with the highest points total outside of those six teams across both conferences will claim the final Champions Cup place.

And after that, you all deserve at least two jugs of the title sponsors best.

However, despite the complexities – even vagaries – of the permutations, the level of excitement (and fresh investment and monies) meant most parties were welcoming the news.

Cheetahs chief executive Harold Verster described South African participation in an expanded tournament as "a whole new ball game" for rugby in the country.

"There will be a steep learning curve for our coaches and players, but we are in it to win it," Verster said.

"The Free State is one of the great nurseries of rugby in South Africa, and this is an exciting prospect for our young players – to test themselves against top players from the northern hemisphere."

Meanwhile, Eastern Province Rugby Union president Andre Rademan added: "The Kings have been through tough times on and off the field over recent years, but we now have the chance to reclaim our status as one of the powerhouses of South African rugby.

"This team represents the heartlands of black rugby in South Africa – a tradition stretching back to the very establishment of the game in this country – and we will bring a unique passion and flavour to the tournament."

Now, what are the train times from Glasgow Central to Bloemfontein?