A Different Kind of Match day

I have photographed plenty of rugby over the years, but this felt different from the outset. Shooting for News Images meant the workflow was not just about capturing moments but delivering them immediately.

From the first whistle, it became a balance between staying focused on the action and thinking ahead about what had just happened, what was usable, and how quickly it could be sent.

The Game Itself

A proper Kingsholm classic.

Gloucester came out firing and built a strong first half lead, going in 26 to 12 up, before holding off a late Exeter comeback to win 34 to 31.

For photography, it had everything. Tries, big hits, emotion, and intensity. Games like that are a gift but also a challenge when working to deadlines.

Shooting and Filing

The biggest adjustment was mental rather than technical.

Instead of shooting continuously, I had to switch between capturing and transmitting:

Shoot a key moment, quickly review, tag, crop, transmit and back to shooting - All while the game continued around me.

That balance only really makes sense once you are doing it live.

Learning on the Fly

There is no rehearsal for this kind of workflow.

FTP deadlines, caption accuracy, and fast edits under pressure make it a different discipline. Everything has to be clean, fast, and correct the first time.

By the second half, I started to find a rhythm. Anticipating moments and being more selective with what I transmitted.

The Kingsholm Factor

Kingsholm always adds something extra. The proximity of the crowd, the noise, and the unpredictability all feed into the images.

When Gloucester held on at the end, the reaction said everything. Those are the moments you are there for and the ones that need to be filed immediately in a news environment.

Looking Back

Walking away, this felt like a genuine step forward.

It is one thing to shoot a game well. It is another to deliver images in real time with people relying on them.