Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final 2025 - A Dream Gig for a Sports Photographer

The Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final is one of those events that never gets old, 2025 marked my ninth year as an event photographer for this epic day at Twickenham, and I’m crossing my fingers for a tenth so I can mark the decade with a bang.

This year’s final was bigger than ever, and I found myself wearing a few different hats. My main client, Premiership Rugby, had me covering fan energy and match day atmosphere, but brand photographer duties also came calling thanks to Defender, who were running activations and a hospitality event onsite. When a job requires being in three places at once, there’s only one solution: bring in the A-team.

Enter Garry Jones, a fellow photographer in London, close friend, and someone I’ve worked alongside for nearly 15 years. We know each other’s rhythms, which takes all the guesswork out of a high-pressure day like this. Also on board was editor Mike Massaro, turning around selects in real time for live use, a huge help for a fast-moving brief like this.

As any seasoned action photographer knows, preparation is everything. My kit list included:

• 2 x Canon R5s

• Sigma 50mm f1.4

• Sigma 20mm f1.4

• Canon 24-70mm f2.8

• Canon 70-200mm f2.8

• Canon flash (which never left my bag but hey, better safe than sorry)

I kicked off at 9am, starting with arrival shots, crowd build-up, match day details, and team entrances. Once the game began, I had a roaming bib, ideal for grabbing those explosive moments on the pitch and the electric fan reactions in the stands. As a sports photographer, mobility is key, so I shot light and moved fast.

We finally wrapped editing at 11pm. A long, intense day, but one I’d happily relive every year. The combination of energy, drama, and sheer passion from both players and fans makes this one of my all-time favourite events to shoot.

Rugby at Twickenham, camera in hand, doesn’t get much better than that.