My half-assed explanation: rugby.connacht.pink

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/european-...tournament-1.4344071

As explained by Gerry Thornley.

New european format confirmed
So, ready to go to either Bordeaux or Lyon !

Currie Cup confirmed (more or less) to start on October 3rd, same day as the Pro12, and run until mid-January, home and away.

Daily Telegraph reporting that expansion is going to happen for the coming season (travel permitting)

money.yahoo.com/pro14-exclusive-south-af...super-174532283.html

So essentially we all keep it within our own continent until Christmas. If travel is permitted at that stage, we play a 16/18 team conference type structure, if not we revert to a flat Pro12 while the SA teams do something else for the rest of the season (another Currie Cup or whatever).
Makes sense to keep the options open, though I strongly suspect we will end up at 12 teams this season and expansion will be kicked out for another year.
In the meantime, just need to make sure the fixture list for the first half of the season doesn't include any games that wouldn't happen in an expanded tournament.

EDIT: Also reports today that that the top 4 teams in the upcoming Currie Cup will qualify for the Pro14, presumably retaining the points they earn against their fellow qualifiers. That could satisfy the Cheetahs, who aren't happy about exclusion, but rules out the Kings, since they're not going to play again this year.
www.sarugbymag.co.za/pro16-currie-cup-qualification/

Seems like they've taken a step back for balance of 2020 rugby but certainly doesn't look good.

Kings are gone:

kingsrugby.co.za/2020/08/25/southern-kin...activities-for-2020/

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro14/sou...ncial-woes-1.4338370

(hat tip to the IT for illustrating the story so appropriately with a lovely picture of the Cheetahs)

Suggestion that the last two SA derbies will double up as Currie Cup fixtures, which seems pretty sensible.
And it sounds like the four Super Rugby franchises will play each other home and away for the first six weeks, which will double as Super Rugby Sa and Currie Cup fixtures (or maybe triple up as Pro16 fixtures for next season too :whistle: )

The Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings were meant to play in the first of two derbies with the resumption of the Guinness PRO14 this weekend, however, SA Rugby asked that these games be put on hold or cancelled. The Cheetahs though, want the double-header to form part of the first two rounds of the Currie Cup

It is believed that Nelspruit is the venue for the bubble, which will play host to the Pumas, Cheetahs, Griquas and Kings

www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za/level-2-sp...good-news-for-rugby/

Based on Jurie Roux's comments it seem that they have all but ruled out SA participation in the Pro1? for 2020/21:

“At this stage‚ we hope to have our first matches by early to mid-September and our plans on the structure of the planned competition will be announced in due course‚ as we have various options to consider‚” said Roux.

Hard to see how that would tally with a proposed October 2nd start for the new season.

www.timeslive.co.za/sport/rugby/2020-08-...-for-return-to-play/

We're talking about the possibility of the 4 or 5 S-Af povinces included for qualifying spot

we won't be above 4 Biggest Saffer provinces + Leinster + Munster/Glasgow and so on

Well then we'll need to improve ourselves to get into that top6. We weren't far away last season. We would've been there in 2016/7.

Sadly, no.

It would accelerate their plan of a 18-team malthusian competition. They 'd be very happy to reduce us to 6 teams, even with Pro16/18

Leinster/Munster/3 Saffers/Glasgow or Scarlets and Anglo-French closed league is all they want...

True, but one of the key elements of the Anglo-French plámás at the outset of the EPCR shenanigans was the ambition to build a global tournament, etc., etc., so they could hardly turn them down. 6 each plus two from SA could potentially work.

Please, these suggestions about "no-more-european european Rugby" mean the end of Connacht in Champions Cup. French and English made it clear they won't accept a 24-club format except this year (even if it has worked very well)
I hope we won't open that door to Saffers...

No re-fixed dates for the South African derbies in August must mean that their participation in the next instalment is very doubtful.
All the talk of Super Rugby teams joining is a bit vague but it does generally sound as if they are talking about a 2021/22 season start for any new arrangement. If that's the case, then it would make sense for Cheetahs and Kings to drop out for a season and the SA teams can do their own thing for the first half of 2021 while they negotiate their future.
One thing that seems to be cropping up is that the Super Rugby teams want to be allowed into the Champions/Challenge Cup as part of the deal to join the Pro1x. The way I see it if they are allowed in to those comps then they don't really need to be in the Pro1x. They currently play 16 regular season games in Super Rugby. Six pool games in Europe plus ten in a six-team SA only league gets them to that total. If they want to promote the Pumas and Griquas or invite the Jaguares they can increase it to whatever size they're comfortable with. That way they can continue to play the Currie Cup during the international windows like they currently do. Much more convenient all round (though less money for the Pro12 I suppose).

Eagles back in action on Pro14 final weekend:
www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/club-rugb...onal-basis-1.4300486

You'd imagine the first two rounds of the A interpros will feature a fair few senior players since they won't want to be out of action for five weeks after the two August games.