Hi guys, just signed up here.

I was involved in the adoption of Hashtags in the NRL. As you can see we had some very successful gameshttps://s1-04.twitpicproxy.com/photos/full/508369540.png" >





Towards the end of the season almost every game would trend #1 in Australia. The most amazing thing was that this was born completely from the NRL Twitter community. The NRL is more involved this year so it can only get bigger.

The main reasoning behind match specific hashtags is that it presents a live stream which can be very handy for someone who can't get any other form of commentary. #RugbyLeague would not trend due to it's high use already (has already been said). The amount of people who were asking what #NRL....... meant, was incredible. As fans of the Greatest Game of All we have the ability and the duty to give something back.

Wait till the games expands to Wansford and Kerroogaroo (Isle of Man)

#WanKer ?

Great post, I hope you don't mind but I've posted this elsewhere. There is a great deal of scepticism around using these hashtags. From what I remembered you had some of this scepticism too but it has disappeared.

The thing that most annoys me about over here is that it was a very grassroots campaign that was doing incredibly well getting clubs, fans and media onside and far from bolstering it, the RFL set it back considerably. On the eve of the Grand Final they decided to release their own opposing hashtag which created considerable confusion. This took the wind out of the campaign as people decided to use neither. There hasn't been the same enthusiasm this time round or the same drive from people to push it.

How about our game threads use the titles #SLwidwak? We can do our bit!

Quote: Conorgiantsfan "How about our game threads use the titles #SLwidwak? We can do our bit!'" Yep, they are already doing this on TotalRL and League Express are adding them to their games. As an aside, the most common complaint about the hashtags is that we should just use #rugbyleague instead. I've wrote a blog explaining why the hashtags are a better way to go. It just makes it easier to direct to if somebody is complaining on twitter, instead of having to explain why. maxdecimus13.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... htags.html

Quote: Conorgiantsfan "How about our game threads use the titles #SLwidwak? We can do our bit!'" Yep, they are already doing this on TotalRL and League Express are adding them to their games. As an aside, the most common complaint about the hashtags is that we should just use #rugbyleague instead. I've wrote a blog explaining why the hashtags are a better way to go. It just makes it easier to direct to if somebody is complaining on twitter, instead of having to explain why. maxdecimus13.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... htags.html

Well, I'll certainly start every game topic with the hashtag from now on.

This attitude certainly makes a change.

You sure you're a Rugby League fan?

Given that, your suggestion that Phil Clarke reads them out takes on even more relevance.

Brilliant.

I can imagine it now, '43% of the tweets in the last 7 minutes have been about Wigan and in that time Bradford haven't scored. I think Wigan are using that fan power against Bradford.'

In a game Wigan aren't playing in.

No problems. We had a number of people trying to hijack the work we had already done. Attempting to push variations and just trying to be difficult. It takes alot to get people motivated to actually tag, they usually just dismiss it as pointless. But the exposure it brings to the game is priceless (and free).

I agree, I fear we are fighting more of battle than even you did.

We have had people trying to be difficult, especially at the end of last season. All manner of different tags were coming out, claims about how ridiculous the tags were. There was one person who was going round calling everybody idiots and stupid because Super League would want the sponsors name in it.

It's different now in that it is Super League who are leading the hashtags so there has been less complaint about their nature. People are less willing to argue with the boss. That said, SL aren't pushing it enough in my opinion, they aren't really using them that often in their own tweets. They should have left it to the grassroots as there are a number of people not really interested that enjoyed using them at the end of last season, many journalists for instance.

That's not to say that there hasn't been negativity. I can genuinely understand people that are indifferent to it and people that even think it isn't going to work and as such are unwilling to do it. What I cannot understand is the vitriolic attempts from some people to stop people using them.

It's hardly a life changing thing that is being suggested. It can have benefits as you have pointed out and I did on the blog but if it doesn't work and people don't like it it won't continue and absolutely nothing is lost. I firmly believe though if more tried it they'd see the point.

individual game hashtags would only work if it was plugged the hell out of during sky games....and i've failed to hear #widwak mentioned yet??


so back to #rugbyleague then

'ah van' is trending though.......mainly about him looking like a tramp lol

Along with 'Margin Meter'. Seems the topic is more likely to trend even though I'm sure the #rugbyleague hashtag must be used far more?!

Don't plenty of programmes display their hashtag after the commercials etc? Though Sky would probably want to devise their own system just to confuse the issue.