Yesterday marked a genuine milestone in my career as a rugby photographer — my first time working as match-day photographer for Bristol Bears. The fixture was a Prem Rugby Cup clash against Exeter Chiefs, played at Ashton Gate, and stepping pitch-side in official capacity for a Premiership club was a moment that felt both surreal and hugely rewarding.
Having photographed rugby at various levels over the years, from grassroots to club competitions, this was another step up — not just in the standard of rugby, but in expectations, workflow, and storytelling.
Photographing the Prem Rugby Cup
Cup rugby has its own rhythm. With squad rotation and younger players getting opportunities, the game opens up differently, and from a photography perspective that creates its own challenges and rewards. The pace is still intense, but moments tend to develop with a bit more unpredictability — which means staying alert and reading the game becomes even more important.
From kick-off, both sides were keen to play with width and tempo, giving me plenty of opportunities to capture dynamic attacking shapes, offloads in contact, and strong carries into space. The Prem Rugby Cup is often where players stake their claim, and that hunger showed in the body language — something I always look to prioritise when shooting rugby.
Working the Touchline at Ashton Gate
Shooting at Ashton Gate is always a privilege. The sightlines, the proximity to the action, and the way light moves across the pitch all lend themselves to strong, clean images. I worked primarily with my 70–200mm and longer prime, allowing me to cover everything from tight breakdown battles to wide-channel finishes.
One of my main focuses throughout the game was capturing storytelling moments — not just tries and tackles, but reactions: players regrouping after phases, conversations between teammates, and the subtle moments between plays that often define a match just as much as the scoreboard.
From a technical standpoint, it was about staying disciplined: tracking focus through multi-phase play, adjusting exposure as conditions shifted, and anticipating where the next break might come from rather than chasing the ball.
Cup Rugby Through a Photographer’s Lens
What stood out most was how much responsibility players took on in key moments. For me, that translated into images full of intent — strong carries into contact, defenders committing fully, and attackers backing themselves one-on-one. These are the moments that work so well visually and help tell the story of a Prem Rugby Cup fixture.
A Personal Milestone
Walking away from the stadium after full-time, camera still warm in my hands, it really sank in what the day represented. Photographing Bristol Bears for the first time as their match-day photographer is something I’m incredibly proud of, and it’s another reminder of why I’ve invested so much time into rugby photography.
The Prem Rugby Cup might sit outside the league calendar, but from a photographic standpoint it offers a brilliant platform for storytelling — and I’m grateful to have been there to document it.
More rugby photography to come very soon.