It's something I've been thinking about for a goodly while and which came to a head this weekend. The official (at least I think it's official) twitter of the club seems to be nothing more than regurgitated news stories from other media sources, ie BBC and Sky Sports. Firstly it's always in English. Surely French and indeed Catalan should be priorities. Unlike most other clubs there's absolutely no opportunity for interaction and the whole thing feels cold and robotic.
I tweet the squad, injuries, fixture details etc. in Catalan every Thursday to my few Catalan followers who appreciate it, even if they never go to the games. What I have managed to achieve is to make a handful of Catalans aware of the club and that rugby league exists. If one single person in a tiny town on the Costa Brava can do that, imagine what a professional club like the Dragons could do.
After the incredible result at Saints last Friday a well known Barcelona writer tweeted '[i@Usap Felicitats![/i' (@Usap Congratulations!). When I asked him why on earth he was sending his congratulations to Perpignan's union team for a victory by the Catalans rugby league side he answered, '[iA l'Usap i al rugbi català en general.[/i' (To Usap and Catalan rugby in general.) It then emerged that he had no idea who the Catalan Dragons were and, like many Catalans south of the border, when he heard of a [irugby[/i team from Perpignan had won a game, he automatically assumed it was Usap as they are the only rugby club in Perpignan.
A few weeks ago there was a movement on twitter demanding that Usap tweeted in Catalan rather than just French. It fell on deaf ears and I immediately thought what an opportunity there is for Catalan Dragons to tweet in Catalan. Unlike in northern Catalonia, most fans here aren't aware of the chequered history between the two codes and have shown a willingness to watch rugby league. Maybe I'm way off here, but I think it's something the club should seriously look at.

The club isn't on Twitter, so this isn't the official twitter.

Secondly, Twitter isn't very popular in France as he is in England, NZ, Australia, etc. On the other hand, it could be a great support to communicate about the club, especially with the english people, but the principal target is to be close to the french fans, who are more and more to "Like" the [url=http://www.facebook.com/DragonsCatalansOfficielofficial facebook page of the club[/url.

Here's an idea then: We do it ourselves.

I'm happy to create a sang-et-or account if there are a few people who would like access to it to post news as it emerges, scores, comment, whatever in French, Catalan and English. I can hook it into the website as well. It's something I've thought of doing before, but not progressed it as an idea as I never thought I'd have the time to do it justice.

Is this a good and/or workable idea? Volunteers to help with this project, also make yourselves know (I assume you, Catalancs as you're the only Catalan speaker I know

)

Count on me for the French stuff!

I thought I could




Oh and if this is something we, as a collective, wish to do, I'll need to know by the end of business today if we're going to get up and running before this weekend's fixtures as I'm on my holidays until Tuesday once I leave this building.

Maybe it isn't popular in France but there's a huge potential market over here, south of the border. I know people that follow Usap simply because they are Catalan. They have no interest in rugby union but the fact that it's a Catalan club is enough. I'd say roughly 3 out of every 10 Barcelona fans I've met follow them because they represent Catalonia (or at least that's what they tell themselves).
Believe me when I say Twitter is very popular in Catalonia. Facebook is still number one but Tuenti (what on earth is that? I hear you ask) is arguably more popular in Spain as a whole.

ps I've just seen that Olympique de Mille have over 200,000 followers on Twitter.



Positivity! That's more like it. Count me in, John.
I was going to suggest @SangiOr, but someone has already taken that one to promote Usap. How about @Sang-i-Or?
Pushing the 'Catalanitat' would be very popular here and as Tom said, Twitter isn't popular in France where they already have Facebook. I'd be more than happy to do the Catalan tweets, Vivien can do the French version and we aren't short of English tweeters.
Oh and John, next time share your ideas with the rest of us, especially when they're this good

I was going through a phase of collating all my various twitter accounts into one. Now I'm expanding them back out again.

As for the name of the account, it would possibly be better to link it into the website as that's the place we're all coming from, though your push for the Catalan language is duly noted.
Now, a bio. "Tweets (in French, Catalan and English) from the home of independent Catalan Dragons rugby league supporters". If that'll do for you, give us French and Catalan translations of that and I'll set to and get this thing going.

Oh and re the comments about Facebook. It would need Vivien's permission as he's the boss of sang-et-or.com now, but if there's a few of you that fancy doing something on Facebook under that banner, then I have no objections. I'm not on Facebook and have no plans to be so in the future, so you'd get no help from me with that, but I will help where possible with integrating it into the website.

Quote ="John_D"Oh and re the comments about Facebook. It would need Vivien's permission as he's the boss of sang-et-or.com now, but if there's a few of you that fancy doing something on Facebook under that banner, then I have no objections. I'm not on Facebook and have no plans to be so in the future, so you'd get no help from me with that, but I will help where possible with integrating it into the website.'" I've already done a "fan"page with the links of the articles www.facebook.com/pages/Sang-et-orcom

Quote ="John_D"Oh and re the comments about Facebook. It would need Vivien's permission as he's the boss of sang-et-or.com now, but if there's a few of you that fancy doing something on Facebook under that banner, then I have no objections. I'm not on Facebook and have no plans to be so in the future, so you'd get no help from me with that, but I will help where possible with integrating it into the website.'" I've already done a "fan"page with the links of the articles www.facebook.com/pages/Sang-et-orcom

Quote ="catalawayoflife"I've already done a "fan"page with the links of the articles www.facebook.com/pages/Sang-et-orcom'" OK, my holiday starts in 25 minutes. You boys play nice.

Quote ="catalawayoflife"I've already done a "fan"page with the links of the articles www.facebook.com/pages/Sang-et-orcom'" OK, my holiday starts in 25 minutes. You boys play nice.

Good holidays!

That bio in Catalan would be, 'Tweets en català dels seguidors independents dels Dragons Catalans rugbi a XIII.'


I'm not on, and have no interest in joining Facebook so I can't help out there. I'm in the middle of changing flat so my internet access will be limited till the weekend after this. I'm just letting you know so you don't think I'm slumped in a bar somewhere when I don't reply immediately

Good effort Catalancs. Seems like I've missed a busy week on Sang-et-or.com

Thanks



I'm hoping to get a lot more done once I get the internet in my new place.
Forgive my ignorance, but is the photo that of Puig Aubert?

I believe so mate yes.

Is it just me or have the last thirty or so tweets have disappeared?

No no !!

The widget only takes the 4 last tweets.

It is, but it's also subject to change