Rhinos charge like rugby players in award-winning photo: “heads down and all that weight already committed”
A dramatic photograph of five southern white rhinos surging across a Kenyan reserve has earned international recognition for Indian wildlife photographers Preeti and Prashant Chacko.
Presented in black and white, the panoramic image captures the animals tightly grouped with their heads lowered as several cattle egrets scramble to escape their path. The imposing formation reminded the photographers of a rugby forward pack driving toward its opponents.
The photograph, titled The Rugby Players, received the Epson Digital Art Prize at the 2026 Epson International Pano Awards, a competition dedicated to panoramic imagery.
A peaceful scene changes in seconds
The encounter began quietly at Solio Game Reserve in Kenya. Eight rhinos were grazing while cattle egrets moved between them, taking advantage of insects disturbed by the enormous animals.
Southern white rhinos are generally calm grazers, but the mood changed without warning. Five members of the group suddenly accelerated together, transforming the tranquil scene into a display of speed, power and tightly packed movement.
From the birds’ perspective, the approaching rhinos resembled a rugby formation: heads down, bodies close together and an extraordinary amount of weight already committed to the charge. The egrets escaped just before the animals reached them.
A group of rhinos is commonly called a “crash,” and the photograph gives that collective noun a striking visual meaning. Capturing so many rhinos together is unusual in itself; photographing several running in formation toward another species made the moment even more exceptional.
A conservation success behind the image
The setting adds another layer to the photograph. Solio Game Reserve has played an important role in rebuilding Kenya’s rhino population through long-term protection and conservation work. Seeing a healthy gathering of the animals offers a reminder of what sustained wildlife management can achieve.
Rather than focusing only on aggression, the image balances tension with a sense of recovery. The rhinos’ power dominates the frame, yet their presence in such numbers also represents a conservation achievement.
Recognition for panoramic photography
Established in 2019, the Epson International Pano Awards celebrates panoramic work across fields including nature, landscapes, architecture, aerial photography and immersive 360-degree imagery. Its 2026 edition attracted thousands of submissions from professional and amateur photographers.
The Rugby Players stood out for its timing, composition and visual storytelling. By freezing a fleeting burst of movement, the image turns an unexpected wildlife encounter into a scene that feels both athletic and monumental.
