I often feel like a fortunate infiltrator, having never played the game of rugby myself. I grew up in a rugby-loving family and when I heard my usually quiet grandmother start screaming scary words at the TV during an All Black test one day, I realised that this sport must be worth watching! I soon fell in love with the game but was busy pursuing a professional tennis career. As a youngster, I played on the ITF Junior World Circuit before taking up a tennis scholarship at a university in America. I discovered you could study sports photography, albeit gridiron, basketball and baseball. I wanted to photograph rugby and in particular the All Blacks.

In 1995 I photographed my first of 175 All Black Test matches. Anna and Fiona Richards, who I met on a commissioned magazine photoshoot, convinced me to travel to Amsterdam and shoot the RWC1998. Anna was adamant they were going to win and they needed someone to photograph it! It was an eye-opening experience for me on many fronts. I had never seen women play rugby so well. I had never seen rugby played in this style with so much freedom and passion. I had also never seen camaraderie and friendships across teams and nations. And it was the first time I had seen women happy to be openly gay. I spent the next 20 years covering all sports including the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and became the All Blacks’ first ever official photographer.

Watching how the game has evolved from the RWC1998 to the recent RWC2021 has been nothing short of phenomenal. Although every time someone exclaims how great women’s rugby is, I have to resist replying “We have been telling you this for years!”

www.jogie.co.nz @jocairdphoto