The close season sees a huge amount of activity at any professional rugby club and Gloucester is no different with a lot of work behind the scenes in recent weeks.

In response to feedback from supporters, the initial focus has been on the club's official website, www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk, where the front page has been reformatted to make it more user friendly and easy to navigate. The home page cycles through the ten most recent news items and the menus have been tidied up.

In addition, a new rotating splash page, designed in conjunction with the club's official Online Solutions Provider, Sotic, allows the club to randomly feature one of up to five different messages.

As well as its free E-Diary which was launched for the 2008-9 season, the club is also exploring other online methods to communicate with existing and prospective supporters.

A thriving Facebook site at www.facebook.com/gloucesterrugby has in excess of 6,500 fans signed up to it and is now regularly updated with news items and events details.

And, a fortnight ago, Gloucester Rugby entered the world of Twitter with its own site at www.twitter.com/gloucesterrugby.

With a new interactive screensaver and e-shot functionality unveiled this week and an iPhone application in the pipeline, it's been a busy time according to Gloucester Rugby's Head of Sales & Marketing Pete Grzonka:

"It's very important that we keep challenging ourselves and keep moving forward."

"There are so many different ways of communicating with our customers in this day and age and it's not a case of one size fits all."

"There's still a place for traditional methods. For example, in recent weeks, we've sent out letters, post cards, emails and electronic newsletters."

"But embracing new methods of communication allows us to reach as many people as possible."