DAVE ROGERS

01 CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

British Lion George North taunts Australia’s Will Genia as he breaks clear to score, in Brisbane, June 2013.

Lens Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM + EF 1.4x converter

Exposure 1/1000 sec, f/4, ISO4000

DAVE ROGERS is just back from holiday when I call him on a mid-summer’s morning. He’s sitting in his garden when we talk, because he gets a better signal outside. Luckily, the sun is out. As a sports photographer for Getty, Dave is used to the outdoors, always with an eye on the weather and prepared to shoot in any conditions. His next assignment is at Lord’s for the England v Australia round-robin match in the cricket World Cup. “I did the first week, then I went on holiday for the last ten days, so now I’m catching up,” he says. Cricket might be dominating the sports pages, but our focus is on the rugby as 20 nations, including England, and the other Six Nation stalwarts prepare for the start of the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“England are picking their first training squad today, so it all starts next week, which seems amazing when you think the matches don’t start ‘til 20th September!” Dave has covered every Rugby World Cup since the first in 1987. Now, 32 years later, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the past and speculate about what might happen in Japan this autumn…

02 WELCOME TO THE GAME

England captain Mike Tindall poses before his team’s first game of the 2011 World Cup

Lens Canon EF 14-24mm f/2.8L

Exposure 1/400 sec, f/8, ISO100

The EF 70-200mm zoom is the best lens for tries right in front of you

You must have seen enormous changes since 1987. From a photographer’s perspective has it mostly been for the better?

The thing that’s really changed is the access to the