Staying with the rugby theme after shooting the England players I was asked to look at a gorgeous project over at Leicester Tigers.

They were looking for something a little different to the usual sports coverage,  images that still delivered the excitement and passion of the game  but without the detachment of being shot on huge telephoto lenses, really they were looking for a similar effect to my trench project which meant short manual focus lenses up close to the action!

Fantastic but how do you get close to the action when the matches being played are very real, very international and being covered by Sky TV?  the answer I found was being allowed to roam up and down the touchline, dodging advertising, Sky cameramen and other photographers whose angle of view I was desperately trying to avoid.

Having played rugby I had a fair idea where the action was heading and was in the enviable position of frequently being only a matter of feet from the action, sometimes too close!  the passion and 100% effort these guys throw into the game is indisputable when you can literally hear the crunch of flesh and bone, mercifully these guys are well trained and prepared for ‘battle’ and I witnessed no serious injury except to pride on occasion.

 

Part of the shoot gave me the amazing opportunity to spend a little time with Alex and Manu Tuilagi,  the more time I spent at Welford Road I realised just how much respect there is for the history and tradition of the club, so much so the players insist on keeping the locker rooms as they have always been.

 

Save for a lick of paint every season,  the benches, edges worn by countess boots, the mirror (one only!)  they are as they always have been and it was here I wanted to shoot the brothers.  The brothers have indisputable presence, theyre big men!  I really wouldnt like to be tackled by them at full tilt but what genuinely pleasant and patient guys they were.

 

Even when we asked Manu to get dirty, even though they were about to head off for some rare and deserved r&r he got stuck well in, I’ll be adding a couple more action shots to their gallery soon but in the meantime check their portraits out here for Alex and here for Manu.

 

A real pleasure to work with you gents!