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Being a photographer at a Rugby World Cup is always special experience, but the most recent final played at Eden Park in 2022, was next level. Over the last 20 years, I have photographed several hundred international rugby test matches covering the All Blacks and Black Ferns at the last six Rugby World Cups however this time, it was different.
With tickets starting at just $5, Eden Park saw an array of fans turning up – not only to support the Black Ferns but also other teams as they progressed through the tournament. Usually, you have two sets of passionate spectators who are only happy when their team wins. The energy is normally full of combative emotions, fans yelling at players and even cheering opposition mistakes however this crowd was full of joy and celebration at being part of such a monumental occasion.
The players were also different. None of the players had previously played in a full stadium the size of Eden Park before. Their obvious enthusiasm, appreciation for the crowd and love of the whole occasion added a beautiful intensity to the atmosphere.
For me, photographing this event was also unique because for the first time in 25 years, I had people with me who had never photographed a game of rugby before.
I was thrilled to be involved in a competition that Canon ran throughout the tournament resulting in two photography students joining me for the semi-finals and two winners for the World Cup Final. Each winner was given a new camera from Canon and were able to try out any lenses they wanted while we shot the matches, including one of my favourites for shooting rugby; the Canon RF 400mm f/2.8.
They were able to sit pitch side with me and experience what it's like to shoot a big event. The two winners were also able to share in the chaotic madness that happens during trophy presentations and team shots. Anne in particular got right in amongst all the professionals, using her elbows when needed to hold her place in the photographers scrummage! Check out the image of her lying prone on the ground shooting the ‘CHAMPIONS’ shot. Great commitment.
It was fun to take them behind the stage of the stadium, the craziness of the media room and the fan zone, complete with the Canon stand of course! We also headed up to the hospitality areas where the winner’s ‘plus ones’ were both able to sit back, VIP style, and watch us down on the field from a lofty height. Canon were awesome during the RWC2021 providing support to all the photographers at the event which included a big variety of lenses to try out and an onsite camera sensor cleaning service. They were super busy.
Seeing it all through the eyes of the competition winners was a refreshing change. Too often I am focused on photographing and trying to nail every shot. It felt great to step back for a minute and see it all through fresh eyes, the sheer size of the stadium, the noise and electric energy of the crowd. The game was end-to-end and there was plenty of action at both ends of the field. We all had to to swivel our monopods at the same time on the photographer's bench so we didn’t play bumper cars with the 400 and 500mm lenses.
Photographing big moments like Rugby World Cup Finals are about paying attention to everything that is happening all around you, not just right in front of you. It can feel so hard at times, but you still need to shoot the losing team at the end of the game, something that often feels like betrayal and an invasion of their privacy!
There was a lot to try and photograph but thankfully Canon have an amazing array of lenses and they were all needed as we tried to capture all the magic that was going on around us.
And it truly was magic. The fans, the images and of course, the rugby.
Gallery from Rugby World Cup 2021 Finals (Played in 2022)
