Kelowna native shortlisted in Rugby Photographer of the Year contest

Kelowna native shortlisted in Rugby Photographer of the Year contest

Published 3:00 pm Friday, August 7, 2026

A Kelowna native is being showcased on a global degree after her {photograph} of a college rugby recreation was shortlisted by the Rugby Journal.

Katrina Laurila has certainly one of her sports activities images on show in Twickenham, England on the World Rugby Museum after her picture made the highest 20 within the panorama class for the Rugby Photographer of the Year contest.

The picture, taken in Kelowna, captures a match between her post-secondary institute, Trinity Western University, and the University of British Columbia Okanagan in the summertime of 2025.

“I had travelled with this team, Trinity Western, to a few different spots, but I had never come to my hometown,” Laurila mentioned. “I was really excited.”

The latest college graduate mentioned she hadn’t even thought-about submitting images into the Rugby Journal’s contest, however a push from buddies and mentors gave Laurila the boldness to submit a handful of images for varied classes of the competitors.

“I went through all my photos, I didn’t know what I was going to put in… When I came across this photo of my hometown and the team I love, it was the perfect picture.”

Laurila’s love of the picture was shared by others and her snapshot was within the working for the class’s prime picture.

“It didn’t win, but it’s still a great photo.”

Although Laurila was not in a position to attend the occasion in England to see winners introduced, she is happy to know her work is now on show for the world.

The photographer not too long ago accomplished an internship with U Sports and is hoping to proceed with a profession in sports activities images.