CRUFC take on Clifton (and wipe the floor with them)

Chris Fell, Cambridge Rugby Union FC's official photographer, was unable to go to yesterday's match as he was shooting a wedding in "sunny" Halifax instead.  Ann Miles was deputed for the day, and she asked me if I would help out.  I guess that makes me "Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief" (with apologies to Michael Flanders).

I've never photographed Rugby before, so wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Well, here are some of the results.

Ouch!

I'm sure Rugby Union was never this balletic when I used to play it at school...

It's a constant battle to try to isolate interested periods of play while, at the same time, keeping an eye on the (rather cluttered) background.  A healthy dose of luck is involved in getting half-way reasonable shots, I discovered.

If you can keep your shirt when all about you are losing theirs...

Yet another try for Cambridge, who eventually won 46-7.

Group commiserations in the Clifton camp after the game.

They start them young at CRUFC!

The Chief Assistant pointing out her inept partner to Cambridge's Scrum Half, who had just scored a spectacular try.  Yours truly had failed to capture it; well, failed to capture it in focus, anyway.  The most valuable lesson I learned was to take a second camera body with a shorter lens on it, as otherwise it's almost impossible to guarantee that "big moment".  Oh well...

Thoroughly enjoyable, and it's definitely something I'd like to have another go at - if the Big Cheese(s) let me, that is.