Shortlist revealed for Rugby Photographer of the Year

News
Written By Simon Campbell
 

The world’s biggest rugby photography competition has revealed its shortlist for 2026, with all finalists appearing in an exhibition at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

This year’s Rugby Photographer of the Year, organised by the Rugby Journal, in partnership with World Rugby Museum, received a record-breaking 3,500 entries across eight categories.

The award celebrates the individuals who capture the essence of the game, from its raw physicality to its quiet, emotional moments. Whether positioned pitchside in front of packed stands or documenting grassroots rugby in all conditions, these photographers play a vital role in telling the stories that define the sport.

Entries were received from across the globe, more than 30 countries, reflecting rugby’s diversity and reach, with photographers highlighting everything from match-winning moments and bone-crunching tackles to the camaraderie and culture that exists beyond the final whistle. “The judges had an incredibly tough time choosing the shortlist, with nearly every category including over 600 images,” explains Alex Mead, Editor-in-Chief of Rugby Journal. “It wasn’t just about technical excellence and natural flair for their craft and passion for their sport, it was also about originality, we were looking for unique images that tell the story in a unique way.”

All shortlisted entries will have their work featured in an exhibition at the World Rugby Museum inside Allianz Stadium. They will also be invited to the exclusive awards evening at the World Rugby Museum on 16th July, where the winners will be announced. 

Winners will be selected across each category, with one overall Rugby Photographer of the Year crowned. The shortlisted images are all showcased in the latest issue of Rugby Journal, which is available to purchase now at therugbyjournal.com/subscribe

Rugby Photographer of the Year is sponsored by Vodafone, Nyetimber, Keith Prowse, Kamado Joe, Premier Sports, and Rhino.

The Rugby Photographer of the Year shortlist is as follows:

Grassroots sponsored by Vodafone

  1. Hugo Fitzgerald - A moment of calm amongst the chaos!

  2. Sebastian Miller - The Chase

  3. Danté Kim - In the mud, we’re all the same

  4. Tubula Ole Ntome Titus - A slippery affair!

  5. Jacob Bird - Pontyclun RFC

  6. Andrew White - Game face

  7. Paul Vinicombe - Cleve RFC

  8. Tim Smith - More than just teammates

  9. Eden Riddell - York Women’s Rugby Union

  10. Kyle Gage - Crash

  11. Simon Dowley - WRFC

  12. Gregory Sabin - Grassroots

  13. Andy Painter - “Taking a moment” - Ryan Dunne - Old Ruts RFC

  14. Adrian Frost - Eyes on the prize

  15. Nick Elliott - Taking to the field

  16. Mackenzie Dunford - The fight

  17. Amanda Murphy - Band of Brothers

  18. Nick Dawe - Watford RFC

  19. Susi Baxter-Seitz - The cutest chaos

  20. Anne-Laure - Watching - Manly Oval

Portrait sponsored by Nyetimber

  1. Saoirse Byrne - KCL Men’s Rugby captain runs out at the London Varsity

  2. Celso Marrero - Visually impaired rugby final

  3. Jeremiah Ong - Silence after the storm

  4. Nicole Moriarity - Krewe unleashed

  5. Holly Hennessy - Old crescent rugby club, Shannon Hennessy

  6. Nina Fishman - Coach said “get low”

  7. Oscar Herrera - Locked In

  8. Chris Lutanga - Morphin time

  9. Jake Miles - Moments before kickoff

  10. Olivier Espagnol - Indomitable Gaul - Obelix

  11. Patrick Khachfe - Tom Dunn

  12. Thomas Kieffer - Budapest Exiles RFC, Louis Gilham, Budapest Rugby Center

  13. Sebastien Bellaval - Téani Feleu — The bloody Amazone from Grenoble

  14. Katlyn Portugues - Pretty tough

  15. Richard Haines - Ready to rumble

  16. Nick Elliott - Battle Wounds

  17. Darren Bridges - Vaha’akolo

  18. Elsie Kibue-Ngare - Rosie & Marlie

  19. Laurence Courage - Framed by history

  20. Russ Williams - Portrait of a Plymouth player after their loss at Rotherham away

Action sponsored by Keith Prowse

  1. Kirk Hayley - Maltby Rugby Club

  2. Camilla Allan - Frozen in time

  3. Rhys Hafod - Wales, Louis Rees-Zammit, Principality Stadium

  4. Martin Schneider - Out of reach

  5. Samuel Simpson-Pattison - Worcester Warriors rise again at the Sixways stadium

  6. Graham Landbeck - The rainy season

  7. Holly Hope - Force in one frame

  8. Peter Watt - Try of the Round

  9. Lilli Hillier - A snippet of time

  10. Blake Armstrong - Top down punch up

  11. Abby Blair - Thomas College, UMF WRFC, Biddeford Maine USA

  12. Melissa Levin - Canadian 7s vs Fiji HSBC 7s

  13. Bastien Eveno - Paul Kwaku Brown-Bampoe against Bristol Bears

  14. Nick Timothy - Mighty Medway

  15. Sarah Hurley - Jump for joy

  16. Pablo Ordas - Bayonne-Bordeaux, aerial battle

  17. Patrick Khachfe - Guy Pepper

  18. Elizabeth Terry - Impact

  19. Brendan Buckley - Hang time

  20. Olly Woodburn - Summit

Landscape sponsored by World Rugby Museum

  1. Adrian Frost - Vlakkeland

  2. Bob Bradford - Harlequins Big Game 17

  3. Daniel Copley - Huddersfield RUFC Women under the Lockwood Viaduct

  4. Rhys Hafod - Aberaeron RFC, Aberaeron

  5. Amy Beverley - Aspatria RUFC

  6. Bryan Robertson - The home of 7s rugby

  7. Clare Gelderd - Women’s British Police Tour South Africa (landscape)

  8. Susi Baxter-Seitz - Rainbows above the Park

  9. Erick Garita Gonzalez - A morning of rugby in La Sabana Park

  10. Katrina Laurila - Scrum beneath the rolling hills

  11. Lilli Hillier - Rocky Mountain Rugby

  12. Sara Dechance - Austin storm

  13. Cara Williams - View from Sheppey RFC

  14. Dieter Lloyd - Scotland vs Wales U20s at Merthyr RFC

  15. Paul Geudon - The Chilterns

  16. Oscar Herrera - Calm before contact

  17. Gruffydd Thomas - Lightshow spectacular

  18. Romain Perrocheau - Bordeaux Montpellier Top 14

  19. Peter Bowyer - The game played in the hills

  20. Jamie Walliker - Ladies’ Night kick off in Hong Kong

Spirit sponsored by Kamado Joe

  1. Christopher Wright - The Hongi

  2. David Howlett - Clean your boots

  3. Andrew Lewis - Two young Welsh fans

  4. Beth James - Smiles all round!

  5. Ryan Pierse - Womens World Cup Final, Twickenham

  6. Shanni Davis - Pride, passion, family

  7. Cédric Minot - The Court

  8. Kyle Helson - Heartbreak in the final

  9. Karen Yeomans - Commiserations

  10. David Mellstrom - Days gone by

  11. James Andrews - Surfing the Blue and Gold

  12. Mike Egerton - USA

  13. Celso Marrero - Visually impaired rugby final

  14. Milan Boolsen-Lotz - Pride of the School

  15. Brendan Buckley - A world of colour

  16. Justin Cliffe - Determination

  17. Bethan Jones - Bound by the game

  18. Nicola Selim Babaoglu - Italy v England, history made

  19. Patrick Khachfe - Finn Russell

  20. Rebecca Rose - The joy of U14’s rugby

Women’s sponsored by Rhino

  1. Carly MacKinnon - The afterglow

  2. Mapicha - Breaking the defensive line

  3. Sebastien Bellaval - Émilie Boulard - Blagnac, February 2026

  4. Billy Stickland - Celebration spray

  5. Andrew Cornaga - Tackle!

  6. Nacho Hernández - Las Leonas

  7. Corinne Votaw - Kate Zackary - Carrying on

  8. Brendan Buckley - Empire State victory

  9. Nick Elliott - Try time

  10. Ryan Pierse - Meg Jones, Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, Rugby World Cup Final

  11. Andrew Boyers - Champions

  12. Adrian Dennis - Japan chase Jorja

  13. Aubin Lipke - “Wear it with pride” (Léa Gallet, Stade Villeneuvois)

  14. Gabriela Rojas Moreno - Dont stop us now

  15. Ruby Kedian-Daley - Didsbury Toc H Rugby Club, Ciara, Didsbury

  16. Nicole Moriarity - Pushing through

  17. Nick Browning - Growing the game

  18. Riccardo Spadetto De Paulis - Shadows of Scotland

  19. Donald Chandler - Focus

  20. Michael Mullins - Women’s rugby - Texas style

Young sponsored by Premier Sports

  1. Lily Brits - Above the valley, Cape Town, South Africa

  2. Madison Tutt - Rugby Clube de Loulé, Tyrone, Algarve, Portugal

  3. Charlie Smissen - Leicester Tigers v Gloucester Rugby

  4. Henry Hanna - Taped up

  5. Ollie Hayes - Crunch

  6. Bruwer Bornman - Waiting on the game

  7. Zac Body - Ampthill Rugby

  8. George Arghir - Cambridge Rugby, Levi Rewti

  9. Thomas Bradburn - War in red: Every inch earned

  10. Harry Monahan - Worcester Warriors return to Professional rugby

  11. Finlay Addis - Warmup Led by Chinnor’s Nick Easter

  12. Hadrian Yip - HKFC 10s

  13. Billie Tate - Number 8

  14. Charlotte Hartley - Triumph and Despair

  15. Jacob Hughes - Brumbies Vs Fijian Drua

  16. Leo Greenberg - Colorado Monarch 15s

  17. Ari McDonald - The true spirit of rugby

  18. Finn Marshall - 150 years of rugby history

  19. Max Owen - Racing 92 Gaël Fickou

  20. Cuchulainn White - Strathmore RFC

Portfolio sponsored by Sporting Eric

  1. Fred Ellis - On the road with England

  2. Samuel Simpson-Pattison - Rugby portfolio

  3. Liam Carroll - Oisterwijk Oysters season 25/26

  4. Rhys Hafod - Rugby portfolio

  5. Patrick Leung - Championship with Hong Kong, China

  6. Alice Gough - Rugby portfolio

  7. Giorgio Palmas - The visitors

  8. Olivier Espagnol - Women’s rugby time

  9. Sebastien Bellaval - Deep in the fight

  10. Lily Miles - Reframing women’s rugby

  11. Susi Baxter-Seitz - Chasing rugby

  12. Kelty Fitzgibbons - New England Free Jacks

  13. Davey Wilson - North American rugby in a year

  14. Ryan Pierse - Rugby portfolio

  15. Brendan Buckley - A global sport

  16. Andrew Lewis - Rugby portfolio

  17. Adrian Dennis - From the touchline

  18. Luca Antunes de Souza - Marchi - Estádio Nicolau Alayon - São Paulo, Brazil

  19. Bethan Jones - Cornish by blood. HRFC by choice

  20. David Howlett - Why we love rugby - IYKYK

 
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