Media Blog
The stop-start nature of the current season has made it a difficult one to follow, for the Pontypridd RFC media team as much as its faithful supporters.
A combination of bad weather and the WRU league structure has left black holes in the fixture schedule, with the gap between home games sometimes measured in months.
The task has been to keep things ticking over, to maintain interest in a Premiership campaign that has unfortunately stuttered and stalled.
As ever, the club has been pro-active in its reaction to the challenges faced. The recent WRU review of the game and its plans for the Premiership clubs have given a glimpse into an uncertain future, but the outlook at Pontypridd RFC is that the glass is always half full not half empty.
Survival for our club entails engaging with our support and its communities. The Pontypridd & Valleys Rugby Initiative has provided real momentum and the 3G pitch at Sardis Road is establishing itself as a focal point for many activities, for the benefit of all who live in the area.
The club decided that its social media platforms needed a re-boot to interact effectively with the thousands of standers-by who are Valley Commandos at heart.
We are delighted to have brought Jane Willmott on board as the latest addition to the Ponty RFC media team. Jane is a dedicated supporter who has expertise in the world of social media and runs a number of successful businesses. The impact that she has made within the first week or two of joining us has been noticeable. The club’s twitter, facebook and instagram accounts, which had long been dormant, are picking up considerable momentum.
Another addition to the media team is photographer Kevin Rudge who has volunteered to shadow Mike Jones. All Ponty games are covered by Mike or Kevin or both, along with USW, Coleg y Cymoedd, Pontypridd Schools and Blues Women games – pretty much anything that moves these days at Sardis Road, our photographers have in focus.
The club’s you-tube channel – Ponty TV – is also being given an overhaul, with the editorial expertise of another long standing supporter, Brychan England, being utilised.
A major review of the club’s media work will be carried out during the coming summer months, and recent initiatives give only a taste of more to come.
Pontypridd RFC is determined to stand its ground on the shifting sands of Welsh Rugby. The challenges that lie ahead following the WRU review are significant ones but will be met with a positive attitude. The media team has an important role to play in the club’s future development.
Your views as supporters are of course of great importance – you now have a wide range of platforms to engage with the club and your voice will be heard.
Guto Davies
Media Officer
03/04/18
