Inside the Shoot: Capturing the 24/25 Premiership Rugby Content Day

Every now and then, you land a shoot that sits right at the intersection of planning, pressure, and creative freedom—and Premiership Rugby's 2024/25 Content Day was exactly that.

Set at the legendary Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, this shoot brought together two players from each Premiership club—a rare moment where the full breadth of English club rugby is in one place. The brief? Create a bank of sports photography assets that would fuel content across the season: everything from press releases and matchday graphics to sponsorship campaigns and social media promos.

Creating Powerful Sports Portraits

When you're photographing elite athletes like this, the challenge isn't technical—it’s conceptual. You’ve got limited time, a lot of faces, and a tight window to make something that not only looks good but feels like the Premiership.

For this shoot, I wanted to lean into a bold visual style. Using a wide-angle lens slightly below eye level, I created portraits where players towered over the viewer—giving off a presence that was powerful, heroic, and larger than life. The slight distortion from this angle worked in our favour: elongating their frame, exaggerating posture, and really showing off their size, strength, and athleticism.

This kind of rugby photography is all about portraying physicality while still capturing personality—and when you’ve only got 10 minutes with each player, that starts with communication. I always bring an iPad and a few printed reference images to share with the players before we begin. It gives them an instant sense of what we’re going for and opens the door for collaboration. You’d be surprised how many players come with ideas of their own, and honestly, that spontaneity is where some of the best shots happen.

Shooting for Season-Wide Use

Alongside the portraits, we shot key content for Defender, National Pride Day, and a few other sponsorship activations. One of the most exciting moments was capturing the full team photo—something that rarely happens given how rarely all the clubs are in the same place. It’s a massive logistical puzzle to solve, but when it comes together, it’s gold.

I also carved out some time to capture stadium photography—a library of ambient images that can be used throughout the season. These shots are crucial for setting the emotional tone in sports marketing content, whether it’s for Instagram reels, homepage headers, or background layers for stat graphics.

Delivering the Goods

At the end of the shoot, we supplied Premiership Rugby with a fully branded online gallery. This made it easy for them to share imagery with sponsors, stakeholders, and rights holders across the league. Within a few days, I’d already seen some of the portraits being used on official websites, social feeds, and even on players’ personal profiles. Always a great feeling to see your work out in the wild.

Final Thoughts

In total, it was a 13-hour day including setup and takedown—but 100% worth it. Shoots like this are a masterclass in sports photography logistics: you’ve got to move fast, work smart, and know your kit inside out. You need to have a vision, but also be flexible enough to collaborate with whoever’s in front of the lens.

Most of all, you need to love the game. If you’re passionate about rugby, it shows in the way you frame a tackle, light a portrait, or capture a quiet moment in the tunnel. That’s what takes a shoot like this from good to unforgettable.

If you’re looking for a rugby photographer or a sports content specialist who can deliver bold, professional imagery that works across platforms, give me a shout. Whether it's media day coverage, sponsorship shoots, or live matchday photography—I’ve got you covered.