Canon Group
Close Close
Menu Menu Close Close Search

Women's Rugby World Cup Students on the Side-Line

Through Canon's association with the Rugby World Cup, Canon created a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a creative arts student in New Zealand - to shoot from the side-lines at the Women’s Semi-Final match at Eden Park, in Auckland.

Canon incorporated proudly joined the Rugby World Cup commercial family for a third consecutive tournament. This partnership supports the New Zealand Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 (playing in 2022) and the Men’s Rugby World Cup playing in France in 2023.

Through Canon's association with the Rugby World Cup, we were able to create a once in a lifetime experience for a creative arts student in New Zealand - to shoot from the side-lines at the Women’s Semi-Final match at Eden Park, in Auckland.


An unforgettable experience

Canon are passionate about enabling schools and students to achieve more. Whether this is through our leading imaging technology, or by creating powerful experiences they will carry with them for life. One of these experiences included inviting budding creative arts students across Aotearoa to enter into Canon's Students on the Side-Line competition.

The prize included a Canon EOS 200D Camera Kit and an exclusive mentoring opportunity with professional sports photographer, Jo Caird. With over 20 years' experience in professional photography, including 4 Rugby World Cup tournaments and 12 All Black tours - Jo added a truly invaluable element to the winner's experience. To ensure we provided the student with the ultimate professional sports photography experience, Canon’s consumer division provided a RF 100-400 Tele-Photo lens with specialist support from our very own Joseph Aton, Territory Manager and passionate photographer.


Prize Winners Finn & Tiana with Pro Photographer Jo Caird.

The biggest highlight of the entire experience was meeting the photographers and seeing how they use their equipment and their own techniques. Another highlight was definitely trying out the new camera and testing it's capabilities at a proper sports game.

Finn Theodore - Kristin School student winner

Enabling passionate students

The lucky winner was Finn Theodore, an arts and photography student from Kristin School in Auckland. Finn got to capture two thrilling Semi-Final matches starting with Canada and England, and ending the experience with New Zealand’s Black Ferns and England’s Red Roses.

Finn’s interest in photography started with a Canon EOS 60d, handed down to him from his dad, a long-time Canon user - though his passion for lens-based art truly blossomed over the 2020 covid-19 lockdown as a means to “get outside and pass the time.” As a secondary school student, Finn is currently enrolled in multiple creative arts subjects but emphasises photography as the highlight of his courses – and aspires to include elements of this art form in his future career.


Capturing the action

Finn’s day began making memories in the Canon FanZone with the interactive green screen activation, followed by an exclusive photography briefing in the media room with journalists, photographers, and the Rugby World Cup crew. As the Semi-Final match commenced, Finn joined the professionals on the sidelines to capture the action unfolding on the field and in the crowd.


It was an incredible experience to be on the sideline rather than in the stands, being so close to the game and the players themselves, seeing all the action right in front of me.

Finn Theodore - Kristin School student winner
Finn & Tiana shooting from the sideline at Eden Park, Auckland.

Being his first time watching a sports game at a stadium, Finn described Eden Park’s atmosphere as extremely competitive and something he’s never experienced before. This was well reflected by World Rugby’s official statistics, showing the Semi-Final matches experiencing record-breaking attendance of 22,000 fans attending in person - what an epic first stadium experience for Finn!

Thanks to World Rugby, Jo Caird and the wider Canon team, we were able to create a truly unforgettable experience for Finn – who returned home with a complete Canon photography set-up, an abundance of professional tips and tricks, and most importantly, memories that will last a lifetime.

Follow us on

Get the best of Business Insights and Offers in your inbox

Work smarter with Canon. Sign up for the latest Business news, tips and insights to stay informed and ahead of the game.

Subscribe
Related Articles
  • icon-Send-Enquiry

    Send an Enquiry

    Email our customer support team

    Send an enquiry
  • Icon-Contact-Chat

    Call 0800 222 666

    For customer service and sales enquiries just give us a call from within New Zealand 

    (8.30am to 5pm, Monday - Friday)