Herts blog - new design

As trailed a couple of weeks ago, the Herts blog has now been redesigned. Trials of a similar design on another blog have gone well and, armed with that experience, the county service has now been updated as well

The new three-column design makes better use of screen space.

• The main central column contains county news stories - and has as much space as the previous design provided.
• The right-hand column is now only contains links to Herts county or club information, along with the blog's archive.
• Regional, national, and international links are now in the left-hand column

In addition the left and right hand columns now include automatically updated lists of the latest stories appearing on other relevant sites (where those sites generate "newsfeeds" - sometimes called "RSS feeds"). This allows you to keep up to date with everything happening in the world of women's and girls' rugby in one place without having to check dozens of different sites.

Not all sites offer newsfeeds yet (the RFUW in particular do not) - but if your club site produces a similar "feed", or you are aware of any other feeds that are of interest, then let me know so that it can added.

Any comments on any aspect of the new design would be appreciated!

Herts blog: update and redesign

The system that this blog runs on has been updated. Though it is possible to keep the current system, there are a number of significant advantages in moving to the new system so that is what it is proposed will happen in a week or so's time.

It is possible to more or less remain the existing look and feel, but it is also possible to go for something slightly more sophisticated that makes better use of the full screen. To see an example of this check out the Letchworth blog which went (or arguably is still going through!) the process this weekend.

Comments would be appreciated.

Incidentally, for thoose of you who occasionally contribute you should not see any major difference when it comes to posting to the blog.

Make the Herts blog your team's blog!

Some interesting developments behind the scenes means that this blog can now become a news service for not just the county, but your individual club or school or... whatever.

As you will see from a couple of entries down, I am not now the only writer on here. Peter McCullough from Welwyn has joined me to post news on here about the Herts 7s competition he is running.

You could do the same thing with your club or event as well. Instead of sending stuff to me to put on (or not), you can add things directly yourself, in your own words, with whatever links or pictures you wish!

And what is more - thanks to the introduction of "categories" - you could even have what amounts to your own club's "page" - for example a page of news relating only to Saracens Amateurs can be found here, or a page of Herts 7s news can be found here. There is a list of all current categories in the column to the right - more can be added.

This means you can get all the communication and promotional advantages and ease of use that comes with a blog without having to worry about the tedious business of setting it up or maintaining it.

If you are interested, drop me a line and you could be publishing your club's news on here by tomorrow.

Finding what you need on the Herts blog

I have added some improved navigation to the blog. Basically all blog entries have now been categorised (see the list in the column to the right). Now clicking on any subject heading will produce a page of entries just on that subject.

So - for example - all news on the Herts 7s can now be found on a single page by clicking on Herts 7s. You could even add that page to your "Favourites" (http://hertsgirls.blogspot.com/search/label/Herts%207s) - thus in effect creating your own blog devoted just to the 7s.

Its all gone a bit quiet on here...

Considering how much news appered on here over December, it may appear that things are a bit quiet.

Basically this is because matters of a representative nature are in a bit of limbo pending the outcome of the regional trials on the 28th. After that happens counties - and indeed clubs - will have a better idea of where they stand on player availability, so we will all have a better idea about what it may be possible to organise over the rest of the season.

Full fifteen-a-side county games may be difficult to arrange (they proved impossible last year) but hopefully - if there is sufficient interest - we will be try to ensure there is something like last year's inter-county sevens (we have to defend our U17 title after all!).

Anyway keep an eye on the blog - news will appear here first!

Comments welcome!

A minor design glitch has now been sorted out which means that you can now leave comments about any articles on this blog.

Just click on the "comments" link below, and away you go!

Don't feel shy - let's make this a two way process!!

And so the 2005/6 season ends...

..which is an odd time to start a new blog, but there again its now that all the planning starts.

And this is also not really a new blog - but an off-shoot, a daughter perhaps, of the Herts Sevens blog used to organise the 2006 festival, a blog which attracted close on 1,000 "hits" fromall parts other world in its short life (not bad for something promoting a small regional junior girls rugby tournament) and which showed that there is at least some mileage in this sort of system as a means of communication.

Anyway - news and information will appear here about girls rugby in Hertfordshire (probably sportadically over the summer). Please get back if you want to make any comments, suggestions, etc.