Thousands enter record-breaking Rugby Photographer of the Year
More than 3,500 entries have been received for the fifth annual Rugby Photographer of the Year, including entries from thirty different countries.
Rugby Photographer of the Year is organised by award-winning print quarterly Rugby Journal and culminates in a year-long exhibition at the World Rugby Museum, Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
This year’s competition was the fifth edition, with eight categories open to both amateur and professional photographers across the world, covering every kind of rugby from grassroots to the elite…
The categories
Action sponsored by Keith Prowse
Grassroots sponsored by Vodafone
Portrait sponsored by Nyetimber
Women’s sponsored by Rhino
Spirit of Rugby sponsored by Kamado Joe
Young (aged 17 and under) sponsored by Premier Sports
Landscape sponsored by World Rugby Museum
Portfolio sponsored by Sporting Eric
This year’s competition drew in a record 3,537 entries, submitting an incredible 7,037 photographs, coming from over 30 countries, going far beyond the rugby strongholds to the wider diaspora, with images coming in from Chile, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Uganda, Ukraine, Kenya, Russia and China, as well as the more familiar territories of the UK, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.
“The response has been phenomenal,” said Alex Mead, Editor-in-Chief of Rugby Journal and chair of the judging panel. “It’s been growing steadily every year – it broke a thousand entries last year for the first time – but to increase to this level is exceptional. Already we can see the standard across the board from local club photographers right up to those capturing the elite every week has risen hugely. Now our judges have the incredibly difficult challenge of choosing a shortlist.
The most popular categories included Grassroots (sponsored by Vodafone) with 584 entries, Action (sponsored by Keith Prowse) with 677, Portrait (sponsored by Nyetimber) also attracted 520 entries, while the new category of Women’s Rugby(sponsored by Rhino) brought in 457 contenders. A burgeoning Young category (sponsored by Premier Sports) also saw its record number of entries with 135.
Every shortlisted entry will appear at an exhibition at the World Rugby Museum, with the winners announced at an awards evening at Allianz Stadium in July.
All shortlists are selected by a panel of judges from across the creative, photographic and rugby world, and will be announced in the next issue of Rugby Journal, out in June.
Make sure you order your copy now, via therugbyjournal.com/subscribe