j_robinson2 Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Get to go & watch a friend play. What to watch for and watch out for as I will be on the sidelines with 85/200/400mm lenses.Am used to American football and this is new to me. Will hope to get something worthwhile but a suggestions or two from experience might help up the quality a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_thorlin Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 This is a question and a half. Assuming you mean the 15 a side game. First advice - get a copy of the rules and a quick guide to playing the game so that some things will make more sense. Plenty of bodily contact and none of this monstrous body-armour you are used to. Line outs - 2 lines of players ( 1 from each side ) jumping for the ball thrown in by the hooker ( no not one of them ) plenty of almost aerial shots. Scrum - 2 sets of 8 players ( again one from each side ) they take up a 3-5-3 formation, crouch and the two front rows lock horns as it and thud against each other, the scrum half of the side in possession puts the ball in between the two front rows and his side try and kick it out the back so they can attack. Lots of grunting and heaving and steam rising if it is a good cold day. Rucks and mauls - sort of a variation on a scrum. With a ruck they are scrabbling around on the ground and with a maul they are standing up and again scrabbling for the ball. Backs and threequarters - occasionally they get allowed to have the ball and they attack by running with the ball in hand and passing BACKWARDS to their supporting team mates. Their ultimate aim is to cross the tryline and ground the ball. Often accomplished by a spectacular flying dive. These guys are the fancy dans of the show and almost never get dirty. Plenty of opportunities for action shots.( Sadly it has to be said that they kick the thing upfield at times because they are not good enough runners. ) Conversions and penalties - both are when the ball is belted between the posts above the crossbar. Conversion is after a try is scored and penalties are when someone has been a naughty boy and upset the all powerful referee. That is enough for starters. When you feel you have digested all this will be more than happy to enlighten you further into the arcane rituals of what is the greatest team game in the world. ( PS - nearly forgot - play is virtually continuous without interminably boring changes of sets of players - they are out their for 80 minutes unless they come off injured which is not uncommon. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awindsor Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 "Backs and threequarters - occasionally they get allowed to have the ball" Must be a follower of northern hemisphere rugby ;) I recall a beautful set of ads for Rugby101 a company selling Rugby equipment in the US. They featured a rugby player putting on his kit (shirt and shorts) on a split screen with a US football player putting on his equipment. Needless to say the Rugby player finishes first. The look on the Rugby player's face was great and the companies slogan "Our Balls are Bigger than Yours" was wonderfully apt. The ball travels left to right more than in US football where forward motion predominates. Standing directly opposite the play is not wise. Try and get a little ahead so you have the angle to separate players and capture the ball in the air between them. All the play takes place behind the line of scrimmage unless the ball is kicked. There are many more players that hold the ball than in American Football so you cannot just focus on the quarterback and wide receivers. My opinion is that it is a more difficult photographic assignment. Incidentally I object to calling Rugby "the greatest team game in the world". Cricket is clearly the greatest team game in the world. Rugby is not a GAME it is a RELIGION. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_thorlin Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 "Must be a follower of northern hemisphere rugby" - no a flanker converted to front row converted to hooker as age ( and intelligence ) increased. J - this might sound odd but adding a 35mm might be good if any line outs or scrums take place close by so you can get the whole action in. As regards your lenses - fine and as you will be on the side lines you can always change focal length with your feet. I take the greatest exception to such characterisation of two great games - they are both "RELIGIONS". Rugby is the greatest team team game and cricket is the greatest individual team game :) J - please excuse these hemispherical wranglings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightarm Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 You could also try shooting from the end of the pitch rather than the side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erin.e Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 If you are shooting from the sideline and the backs are running the ball it is usually going to the outermost player, the winger. Be aware that they are all running towards you if you are upfield from them. If the action is fast and furious and fills the frame with two players (70-200 2.8), time to take the camera from your eye and step out of the way! Not much fun being charged over top of by two 15 stone rugby nuts. Good lineout shots are difficult to capture but if you are lucky, can be quite dramatic. The running backs offer the most dynamic picks. An easy action shot is the halfback clearing the ball from the scrum, he is the usually smaller guy that feeds the ball in and the forwards attempt to get the ball back to him to feed out to the back line. Good description of the game Bill Thorlin;-)<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_thorlin Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 J R - not many responses but enough to set you on your way - hope you enjoy the experience. Erin - thank you and at the expense of being thought an MCP - a lady rugby fan and a great shot as well - I am impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyjonesphotography Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 For everyone in North America..... 1 Stone = 14 lbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dens Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 as with the shot above, when I think rugby I would think "Lineout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_elliott Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 If you're on the sidelines keep strolling and try and keep around 20 - 25 metres ahead of play... use your 80-200mm. At the end of the pitch you'll need something nearer 400mm.... currently saving for an 80-400mm which should be perfect (coverage from going over for the try at the 80mm end through to defending at the other end at the 400mm)! I found last season my best stuff was coming from the end, but that I was missing big chunks of the action waiting for play to come into range, waiting for the try. This season I've been strolling down the sides and getting better shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamish_mcconnochie Posted June 2, 2007 Share Posted June 2, 2007 <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/270293471_1148bbc46a_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="Scott Daruda lines up a conversion attempt" /></a> <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/270294417_45919fee00_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="Western Force Gold" /></a> <a href=" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/270291813_b6372ce310_m.jpg" width="240" height="159" alt="Brendan Laney side steps Scott Staniforth" /></a> I took these photos using a 300 lens - 400 should work fine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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