Up to the Toon and down to Donny

Great to be back on sport duty lately with a couple of rugby matches covered. The physicality of the game lends itself to good photos with the players regularly throwing themselves into tackles, diving and jumping to gain possession of the ball and sprinting to the tryline to score points.

The first of my two games involved a trip to Kingston Park, Newcastle for an evening Prem clash between Newcastle Red Bulls and Exeter Chiefs. I was working as club photographer for the latter. This involves far more coverage than just the match itself and my first set of photos are usually taken some three hours before kick off. A selection of images of the stadium both inside and out followed by the set up in the dressing room with the players' kit meticulously laid out. Once these pictures have been uploaded and sent, I have to be in position for the team's arrival. After entering the dressing room they reemerge to inspect the pitch and form a huddle to listen to encouraging words from the team captain.

Further images uploaded, I'm then tasked with taking photos of the players during their warm ups before reentering the field of play, and, the match itself. Providing a steady stream of images during the game while trying to photograph the action is no easy task. If my head is buried in my laptop, I often rely on the noise of the crowd to alert me to any major incidents meaning I need to switch my attention back to taking photos rather than sending them. Post game, player reactions are my main focus. The two teams generally congratulate one another before another huddle is formed with further positive expression. The players then mix with friends and family who have come to watch them before leaving the field.

My second foray involving the oval-shaped ball came in the form of a commission to cover the England U19s against France U19s. This involved a trip down to Doncaster and a first time visit to the impressive Castle Park ground. A very similar set of instructions to my coverage of the Newcastle-Exeter match was adhered to, with the addition of the national anthems before kick off. The match gave me an opportunity to witness some of the young stars of the future who may some day break through into club and country first teams.

Further confirmation if it was needed of the great variety in my work and how lucky I am to still be doing the job I love after almost 24 years.

@ExeterChiefs @EnglandRugby @FranceRugby @NCL_RedBulls @DoncasterKnight @premrugby