23/10/2026
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆
Love them or hate them, they're all around us. Photographers, content creators and the media have become an important part of modern rugby.
Social media has been a game changer for rugby and sport in general, and I believe it's been overwhelmingly positive for the game.
But I want you to think about something for a moment.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁?
It's an interesting question, isn't it?
Every weekend, countless people give up their time, share their skills and brave the elements to capture the moments that make rugby special. Yet how often do we stop and acknowledge the work they do?
I occasionally have people approach me, say thank you or leave a kind comment about my photography, and I genuinely appreciate it. You know who you are! 😊
But I also know there are many talented people out there who rarely receive that recognition.
Think about it. How often do you see photographers or content creators acknowledged at rugby awards evenings, club prizegivings or even after-game functions?
We're all happy to look at the photos, share them on Facebook, tag our mates and enjoy the highlights. But how often do we actually thank the person who spent hours capturing, editing and sharing those moments?
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱.
And that's a funny thing when you think about it.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱
Go back 20 or 30 years, and things were very different.
We didn't have the technology or instant access to images and videos that we take for granted today.
Rugby photography was largely the domain of newspaper photographers, media organisations and legendary figures such as the great Peter Bush, whose images helped document generations of New Zealand rugby.
For many grassroots players, the only photograph they might have from an entire season was the traditional team photo.
You know the one.
A Thursday night at the clubrooms, training finished, a few b**rs being enjoyed, and everyone gathered together on chairs for the annual team photograph.
That was often it.
Video footage of grassroots rugby was rare, and unless someone happened to bring along a camera, many of those special moments were simply never recorded.
Fast-forward to today, and we can share hundreds of photographs and videos with people around the world within seconds or minutes of capturing them.
It's quite remarkable when you stop and think about it.
𝗔 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀
Today, rugby receives more coverage than ever before, particularly at grassroots and provincial level.
At the recent Wellington Pride final, I counted more than 12 photographers and content creators at just one end of the field!
And that number seems to grow every year.
Personally, I think that's fantastic.
Every photographer and creator brings something different. We all have our own ideas, perspectives, personalities and styles.
Some are professionals, others are enthusiastic amateurs. Some have decades of experience, while others are just starting out.
But they all have something in common.
𝗔 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.
We're also seeing fantastic interviews with club players, coaches and personalities who might never have received that kind of attention in years gone by.
People and organisations such as Huddy Sport, Alice Soper and Club Rugby, along with Wellington Rugby and many independent creators, contribute enormously to the visibility and growth of rugby in our region.
They help give players a voice, promote clubs, celebrate achievements and tell stories that might otherwise go unnoticed.
And that can only be good for the game.
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀
One thing I don't think people fully appreciate is the amount of work that goes into producing content.
We have creators ranging from teenagers as young as 14 through to people in their 80s, standing on the sidelines in some of Wellington's finest weather.
And by finest, I mean freezing cold, pouring rain and winds that nearly blow you into the next suburb!
Yet they keep turning up.
Week after week, season after season.
For many, the time spent on the sideline is only a small part of the job.
There's travelling to games, sorting through hundreds or even thousands of images, editing photographs, processing videos, writing stories, preparing interviews and uploading content.
All of that takes time, effort, skill and, quite often, money out of their own pockets.
And much of it is done simply because they love rugby.
There's no big pay cheque, no trophy waiting at the end of the season and often very little recognition.
Just the satisfaction of knowing they've captured something special.
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗵
There's something else I want to touch on, and it's particularly important to me.
Wellington rugby has been fortunate to have a small number of photographers and content creators who have dedicated many, many years to documenting our game.
These people have captured generations of players, coaches, referees, supporters and clubs.
They've recorded championships, heartbreak, celebrations, friendships and moments that will never happen again.
And in doing so, they've created something far more valuable than a collection of photographs.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆.
My hope is that when these individuals eventually decide to step away from the sidelines, their contribution is properly recognised and celebrated.
Because I genuinely worry that some of them won't receive the acknowledgement they deserve.
And that would be a real shame.
Their work has become part of the history and identity of rugby in our region. The images they've captured will continue to tell stories long after the players have retired and the final whistles have blown.
That is a legacy worth celebrating.
We shouldn't have to wait until someone walks away from the game to appreciate what they've contributed.
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆
The next time you see that pesky photographer wandering along the sideline, camera in hand, trying to find the perfect angle, spare a thought for what they're doing.
They're not just taking photographs.
They're preserving memories.
They're recording history.
They're creating something that players, families, clubs and future generations will be able to look back on for years to come.
Many of us who played rugby years ago have very few photographs or videos from our playing days. Those moments are now little more than memories and stories shared over a b**r.
Today's players are incredibly fortunate.
They have access to photographs, videos, interviews and highlights that previous generations could only have dreamed of.
And behind so much of that content are people who simply love the game.
I don't write this because I want recognition for myself. I write it because I've seen firsthand the time, dedication and passion that so many others put into their work, often without expecting anything in return.
I just want people to appreciate how lucky we are to have so many talented individuals giving their time and skills to Wellington rugby.
So next time you enjoy a photograph, watch a highlight reel or share an interview, perhaps take a moment to thank the person who created it.
A simple thank you costs nothing, but it can mean a great deal to someone who has spent hours making that content possible.
𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀, 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.
To all the photographers, content creators and storytellers who continue to give so much to our game, thank you.
Keep doing what you do.
You're making a bigger difference than you probably realise.
𝗚𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹!
*note these articles and opinions are mine and I am not affiliated with any group or organisations
