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Tigers Twitter celebrates ninth birthday

Leicester Tigers Twitter today turns nine years old after first entering the Twittersphere by signing up for an official account on July 21, 2009.

It was however almost two months before Tigers first sent a Tweet, on September 17 of the same year, with a rather understated debut post linking back to a news story on the club’s website, “Staunton says Tigers will hope to put on a show against Falcons in front of a record Welford Road league crowd.”

Since then more than 66,200 Tweets have been posted by Tigers at an average of approximately five a day.

Since then the account has grown in to one of the rugby world’s most followed on Twitter and, combined with an almost 300,000 strong audience across the club’s other social media and digital platforms, is a major channel in engaging close to half a million Leicester Tigers supporters across the world online every single day.

Since it’s arrival on to the social media platform nine years ago, the account has been recognised with a handful of industry awards and also driven the adoption of one of the club’s major identity slogans - the #TigersFamily - on not only Twitter feeds but across all levels and assets of the club.

Twitter is not only a platform for the club to speak but also an effective way to listen and engage its fans on a daily basis on any topic involving the club - and on occasion even those topics that don’t according to Tigers social media officer, Sam Williamson.

“We are always up for a chat about whatever any follower wishes to discuss,” says Williamson.

“Honestly, anything … it doesn’t even need to be about rugby or the Tigers. We’re just grateful for the company!”

Most recently the Tigers Twitter-er attempted to follow a game of England’s during the Football World Cup, which - through the eyes of a rugby fan - had not only the club’s supporters but many around the world enjoying a failed attempt to understand a whole host of the code’s laws, including the offside and yellow card rules.

"The role of any social media team at any sports club, business, agency, etc … is to be on the front-line of customer service in not only delivering content, information and offers for followers but also listening to their questions, concerns and ideas to make their experience with us even better."

Tigers social media officer, Sam Williamson

The club’s Twitter account has covered countless hours of rugby since joining the social network in 2009 and this upcoming season will bring fans live coverage of every single fixture involving the Leicester Tigers, as well as exclusive content and access behind the scenes in the lead up and reaction to matches, which Williamson says there are plans to grow more and more beginning this season.

“Our job is to open the doors of the club to those out there who are interested, online and via social media, in ways that nobody else can,” Williamson said.

“The role of any social media team at any sports club, business, agency, etc … is to be on the front-line of customer service in not only delivering content, information and offers for followers but also listening to their questions, concerns and ideas to make their experience with us even better.

“We have a lot of fun and plenty of people I’m sure wonder what we really do with our time, but we are also very serious about being not only approachable but responsive and helpful to those who engage with us.”

There are also more than 40 Tigers players and coaches in the 2018/19 squad who are active users on the platform and collectively reach hundreds of thousands of rugby and Leicester fans worldwide via their own channels, which you can see a lost of by clicking here.

To stay up to date with the latest news and offers out of Welford Road and Oval Park, as well as seeing exclusive content available nowhere else in the world, and connecting with the club - whatever your question may be - follow the @LeicesterTigers now on Twitter and join rugby’s phone-tapping, fast fingered #TigersFamily!