New webmaster required for bristolrugby.com

Heading for the club
By Duncan Wood
February 6 2003

This may come as a bit of a shock but I'm going to be leaving bristolrugby.com very shortly. The new official site should now have gone live and I'll taking up a new role as Fanzone editor on www.bristolshoguns.co.uk

Justin and myself have been working very closely for some months now as many of you will know.

I've helped out with articles for programmes and interviews a lot of players which have created comments for the club's press releases etc.

The club have always been excellent in terms of allowing me access to players and officials and we've had a relationship that few official/ unofficial sites have enjoyed.

The new look official Shoguns site will be launched imminently and I've been offered a role (unpaid!) as the editor of the Fanzone section.

I've given the matter a lot of thought and I reckon that combining our efforts and resources will enable us to offer the best of both worlds on the new official site.

Popular items like the messageboard and Fantasy rugby will be included in the new Fanzone section, I'll still be writing my own articles and I'll have greater access to players and pictures etc.

I'm hoping that all of you will join me across on the official site (which you probably all visit on a regular basis already!) and appreciate my reasons for stepping down from the unofficial site after almost 3 years.

It's been fun and ,as a result, I've done things that I'd never have dreamed of doing (covering matches for the Evening Post and Green Un, getting to know players and coaches, making a lot of new friends).

I hope this won't spell the end of bristolrugby.com so, if you're at all interested in taking over or know someone who might be interested, drop me a line at duncan.wood@talk21.com

Thanks to everyone who has ever logged on, Steve Hill for first introducing me to Rivals 3 years ago and to my missus fo rputting up with all the hours I spend doing this!

I'll leave the final words to Justin who has kindly prepared a few words:

"We've been talking to Duncan for a while now and are delighted to have in on board. The new official Bristol Shoguns website has a great new fan zone section and what better person to have edit it than a long-term supporter," said Justin Hopwood, editor of the official Bristol Shoguns website.

"Duncan has built up a superb reputation from his hard work and commitment to his website, and we feel that his knowledge, reputation and enthusiasm will only add to the service we're going to provide.

"We'll be working together to make the most of the new website. In Duncan's previous role as editor of the unofficial website we were never working in competition, but now that he is working alongside us we'll both be able to offer so much more to all the site's visitors."

"The message board for the official site is in the fan zone section and we welcome all comments from all supporters."