US sports broadcasts have been doing this for a while, even putting their commentator's twitter names in on-air captions. The NRL were using it towards the back end of last season too I think. Not sure why sports in this country haven't jumped on it yet. Free publicity!

It's not only about trending.

People talk in game all the time but don't often put #rugbyleague at the end. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, #rugbyleague has never trended whilst many other RL related terms have. This is to do with the nature of trending, it is only when a term spikes in relation to its usual usage that it trends. This stops things like Justin Bieber or days of the week trending 24/7. People use #rugbyleague all day every day so it would take a huge spike for it to ever trend. A good example is in Australia. NRL or #rugbyleague never trends there because of this but the game specific tags do all the time now and often in top spot.

Game specific tags are now standard in many sports and it was trialled at the end of last year to good effect. Many people enjoyed using them and found the games much easier to follow. If people get used to it and we trend now and again then that is simply a bonus.

Are you and Chris Dalton related? I agree with what you have said, but to expand the fan base of the game things like twitter are a very useful tool. If people can find out about it.

I'm glad the RFL and League Express have taken it upon themselves now. I just hope they push it properly.

There's something peculiar about Rugby League fans that has to react to everything, no matter how harmless, with distrust and dislike. It was the exact same with the NRL, fans couldn't understand why they couldn't just use #rugbyleague. Now it is not questioned.

The A-league in Australia is the 4th biggest sport (a bit like RL) and they have adopted these and got them trending worldwide. This is just a bonus to a much better way of tweeting.

Indeed we are. Brothers. I am Paul Sculthorpe to his Danny.

I am more Sam Tomkins to his Joel Tomkins.

Sky should show the hashtag at the start of the programme like Channel 5 have done with #CBB and ITV did with #Imaceleb

Yep, I've tried to contact them about this before only to get nothing back.

I'll keep trying, hopefully the RFL's backing should change this.

I didn't think even you would stoop that low.

Yep, simple. 'Please use the #SL(insert) hashtag on twitter' read out by Eddie Hemmings, Phil Clarke could read out some tweets at half and full time and use them as discussion points for analysis. Could even have tweets featured in game where we might normally see scores from other matches. Can just see Phil Clarke saying 'Joey Barton has got in touch via twitter and thinks Rugby League has set the standard for video technology, and urges to FA to take note'.

I know some people don't like the thought of such things, but Twitter is a powerful tool, and if managed correctly can attract large audiences on the 'Top Trends' section, more publicity and all that.

Love it.

Get it sorted RFL!

Actually, Clarke is more likely to say something like [i "Y'know Eddie, that's the forty-third tweet we've had on that on the last twenty minutes ... Stats show that Saints fans are more prolific with their twittering in the last twenty minutes of a game than any other team in Super League ..." [/i