Ahead of the opening weekend of the new season, Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), in partnership with Getty Images, is aiming to change perceptions of women’s rugby by unveiling a curated photo series championing ten of the game’s stars.
The campaign, Powered Differently, shot by Tara Moore for Getty Images, is 100% powered by women to capture the stories of incredible rugby players with a range of body types and ethnicities from PWR clubs across the UK.
The campaign has been created with an intentional and inclusive lens to visual storytelling for women and girls in sport.
The imagery showcases women’s rugby in a new light, highlighting the powerful diversity that exists in the PWR, where any woman can find a representation of themselves on the pitch.
The shoot comprised of ten players, from every team in the league, and features (from left to right): Rachel Lund (Gloucester-Hartpury), Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins), Jodie Ounsley (Exeter Chiefs), Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears), Zoe Harrison (Saracens), Abi Burton and Ellie Green (Trailfinders), Detysha Harper (Sale Sharks), Amanda Swartz (Leicester Tigers) and Daisy Hibbert-Jones (Loughborough Lightning).
Getty Images guidelines for photographing female athletes prioritise a player-led approach, from conception to execution. The images in the series reveal the unique personalities and incredible stories of the players beyond the game.
“The concept for the campaign is about us as people not just players,” said former England international Shaunagh Brown, of Harlequins.
“It’s really important that we’re able to express ourselves and show a different side and that we’re more than just rugby players.”
Shaunagh Brown
“Often you can be found guilty of thinking ‘it’s just another picture what does it matter’, but actually when we see photos that truly represent us, it gives us confidence.”
Earlier this year, Belinda Moore was appointed CEO of PWR, taking responsibility for supercharging the growth of the domestic league. Moore has already led a rebrand of the league and, together with this campaign, has the ambition to convert the broader momentum in the women’s game into value for the domestic league.
Moore said: “We’re entering a new era of women’s rugby, and it’s fair to say that historically there have been a lot of stereotypes around the sport.
“What is so important about this campaign is that it tries to break some of those stereotypes. They’re rugby players first and foremost but they’re also fantastic role models for the next generation of women and girls that can look at these women and say ‘that could be me’, and I think that’s an extraordinarily powerful thing for the sport to do.”
In addition to the campaign amplifying the players profiles, the PWR has also secured a landmark first broadcast deal with TNT Sports, committing to showing more than 20 live games throughout the season.
This means that at least one game will be shown live each game week working to make sure that women’s rugby can make the most of the growing number of women’s sports fans in the UK.
To keep up with the action, you can follow Loughborough Lightning on X, Instagram and TikTok, as well as the PWR on X and Instagram.
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