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 an international level after her photograph of a university rugby game was shortlisted by the Rugby Journal.
Katrina Laurila has one of her sports photos on display in Twickenham, England at the World Rugby Museum after her photo made the top 20 in the landscape category for the Rugby Photographer of the Year contest.
The photo, taken in Kelowna, captures a match between her post-secondary institute, Trinity Western University, and the University of British Columbia Okanagan in the summer of 2025.
“I had travelled with this team, Trinity Western, to a few different spots, but I had never come to my hometown,” Laurila said. “I was really excited.”
The recent university graduate said she hadn’t even considered submitting photos into the Rugby Journal’s contest, but a push from friends and mentors gave Laurila the confidence to submit a handful of photos for various categories of the competition.
“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 photo was shared by others and her snapshot was in the running for the category’s top photo.
“It didn’t win, but it’s still a great photo.”
Although Laurila was not able to attend the event in England to see winners announced, she is pleased to know her work is now on display for the world.
The photographer recently completed an internship with U Sports and is hoping to continue with a career in sports photography.