The RFU recently took the decision to streamline it's approach and has relaunched its press releases based on a solution delivered by leading sports technology providers Sotic.

The RFU wanted to move to professionally branded press releases delivered via a web-based system that ensured its news was delivered promptly and professionally, irrespective of the venue or time of release. The dynamics of the organisation means that the RFU has press officers based across the country who are responsible for delivering information as it happens across over 20 competitions from Internationals down to grass roots rugby. Consequently the solution had to be easy to use while tailored for the different staff and the level of sport they work in.

Sotic worked closely with the RFU's media department to provide a solution based on the company's press release system. The system delivers the control of both the mailing lists and the user defined fields to the correct staff within the RFU while ensuring the strong branding stays consistent. The system also allows the RFU to includes snapshots of available images without clogging up people's inboxes.

RFU Media Manager Nicki Drinkwater said "The RFU Communications department plays a vital part in keeping the media informed of what is happening within English rugby. We needed a system that gave us the flexibility to work from anywhere at any time. Sotic's sophisticated web based system and 24/7 support give us this flexibility and so far the feedback has been very positive."

Sotic's Technology Director Leo Mindel added "The RFU approached us needing a solution that would provide clear and professional branding of their press releases, allow their media team to more effectively manage and deliver their own releases, in time for this season's Investec Challenge Series. Fortunately our method to software development means we are able to quickly deploy solutions used for other clients rather than building from scratch each time. "