Overcast, 12° CBe a Digital England Fan!!
England Rugby fans are being invited to join a digital army on http://www.rfu.com in support of the England team as they travel New Zealand in search of World Cup glory. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) today launched a unique online portal http://www.rfu.com/weare that will bring fans closer than ever to the England team as Martin Johnson's men take on the world’s best in the 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup. The page is the core element to a campaign called 'WE ARE' and will allow fans to access all of the RFU's digital content, from social media channels and RFU.com, in one place. This ensures supporters don't miss a thing despite the 12 hour time difference between England and New Zealand. As well as allowing fans to browse match commentary, interview and behind the scenes content, the page also invites them to join the England Rugby team's Digital Army. In an innovative use of social media fans can sign into the England Rugby Facebook page from RFU.com and see their profile picture and those of their friends makeup the background. The RFU's digital editor, Tom Hines, said: "The World Cup in New Zealand gives us a great opportunity to engage with fans and showcase the game of rugby. We are going to be offering fans unprecedented coverage and access tothe team as we close the distance between here and New Zealand and use the time difference to our advantage. "Combining the social media channels we've developed over the last year with this new portal means we can offer fans true 24-hour coverage as the team goes after the biggest prize in world rugby. The 'WE ARE' tag line is there to remind people that however they are involved in rugby, as a fan, player or volunteer they are all part of the same game, and the England team are the best we all have to offer." The WE ARE portal is being built by London-based digital agency Aqueduct. Commenting on the project, Andy McLane, Creative Director at Aqueduct said: "If we couldn’t physically take every England fan to New Zealand, then we were going to harness digital to bring New Zealand to them. Our strategy for ‘WE ARE’ was to create an experience that wouldn’t be challenged by time difference or geography. The team will feel the support of the fans. In addition to RFU.com, the RFU currently has a significant presence on Facebook (280,000 likes), YouTube (over 500,000 views) and Twitter (20,000 followers) at the addresses below. Over 1.5million unique visits are expected to be made to RFU.com each month during the World Cup. The We Are portal will also include a presence from England Rugby sponsors, and information on how fans can get involved in rugby. http://www.facebook.com/officialenglandrugby |
