Indian girls picture wins top award

A photograph featuring a group of girls playing rugby for the first time at an orphanage outside Kolkata in India has won the IRB/Emirates Airline Rugby Photograph of the Year 2010 competition.

The winning image, taken by Richard Lane and entitled 'Bengal Khuki', was selected by a panel of expert judges from over 300 entries depicting Rugby scenes in 26 countries, under the category Spirit of Rugby.

"Rugby is a sport with a rich history and a strong tradition of fair play, respect, camaraderie, teamwork and friendship and this picture of girls discovering and experiencing these values for the first time perfectly depicts the true Spirit of Rugby," said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

"It is also a stunning image full of colour, vibrancy and warmth."Two otherwomen's rugby images were also shortlisted with an image of Maggie Alphonsi taken by as well as a picture of Lindsay Morgan and Danielle Meskell reaching a first-ever Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final both considered.The winner was selected by a panel of judges chaired by Paul Morgan (Editor, Rugby World) and including Dave Rogers (Getty Images), Barry Newcombe (Sports Journalists' Association), Joelle Watkins (Corporate Communications Manager, Emirates Airline) and Jim Drewett (Director, Vision Sport Publishing). The judges selected a shortlist of six images before finally confirming Lane's picture as the winner.