Sotic - Sports Websites | Statistics | E-commerce : Ulster Rugby launches new site with support from the fans

The Ulster players check out the new website

Ulster Rugby launches new site with support from the fans - and Sotic

9 September 2008, 2:29 pm

By Jonathan McConnell

Magners League side, and former European Champions, Ulster Rugby have re-launched their website - www.ulsterrugby.com.

The website has been redesigned in collaboration with Ulster Rugby supporter's and sports website specialists Sotic, to develop a highly functional site, with improved usability and navigation.

Ulster Rugby carried out a website improvement survey with the help of their 50,000 plus website users. Students to CEO's, 16 to 60 year olds were questioned, to find out what their wants and needs from UlsterRugby.com were. Sotic, the award winning Web Company who are responsible for the Heineken Cup, Magners League and RBS Six Nations websites set to work incorporating the survey results into the new design.

The improved site contains innovative features such as, an integrated Match Centre for each game; where supporters can view all relevant information including; news stories, squad details, statistics and match reports relating to each match. Interactive technologies allow web users to operate a Player Comparison section (coming soon), which provides direct comparisons between Ulster players and their team mates. The interactivity continues through to the statistic based squad index. Website users can now sort the Ulster squad using; points scored, position, appearances and view the results via a grid or list system.

Old favourites; fixtures and league tables, live results and news, are still present but have received a total redesign, while integrated e-commerce provides online tickets and merchandise sales.

Lyndsey Irwin, Senior Manger with Ulster Rugby said: "We felt that it was really important to ask our supporters and web users what they wanted from the new website as it is really their website for their team. We wanted to keep everything our supporters liked about the old site and make the improvements to function, navigation and design around these factors. There was a great response to the survey; it really showed us how passionate people are about Ulster Rugby and how our site is an invaluable tool for us to communicate with the people that are most important, our supporters. All in all, the new website will allow Ulster Rugby to continuously improve our relationships with supporters and provide them with everything they need with one click of the mouse."