TESTIMONIALS
Pete is a highly dedicated, talented and a very prolific rugby photographer. Always organised with an envious attention to detail and an almost encyclopaedic memory of rugby matches covered during his long career. He is very much respected by his peers and numerous clients alike, for the quality of his imagery and generally for simply being a 'good guy' who is kind with his time and ever passionate about his profession of which he is undoubtedly one of the best. I should add he took me under his wing and mentored me in the early 90's, had he not my life would most certainly have taken a very different career and indeed personal path.
So I know Pete extremely well as a professional colleague and as a good friend. So if you have the pleasure of dealing with him, I also know you will not be disappointed, either by his images, end product or the experience of discussing whatever you require of his services.
DAVIDGIBSON
OWNER, FOTOSPORT
In the height of lock down a photograph that I had never seen before was sent to me by Pete Jenkins which brighten my spirits. You see it was a picture of the Barbarians playing Swansea in 1992, at a time when you would receive an invitation from Mickey Steele Bodger, reading “The Barbarian Football Club, the president and the committee have the pleasure in inviting H Thorneycroft to play for the Barbarians on the Easter Tour 1992.” The squad would be published in the national broadsheets what an honour. I didn’t know that a fleet street photographer, On the Back of a Motorbike was there that day capturing a memory for me that I would later see 28 years on. This is the beauty of what Pete has got in his private collection of over 70,000 images, memories of a time forgotten, when we didn’t have digital photographs and he would physically have to print shots that would appear in the broadsheets from the negatives. He was one of the only photographers that didn’t sell his private collection to Getty and the like. I have for the last four months helped him identify players from 1985-2000. He has taken the plunge and decided to catalogue his collection and make it available for those who are interested and would like to purchase a small part of history and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you Pete.
Harvey Thorneycroft
Former Northampton Saints Player
For all my years working as the deputy Picture Editor at The Sunday Telegraph, Pete Jenkins was rugby. As far as rugby was concerned he ticked that box for all our photographic coverage, sometimes the big matches, sometimes smaller local games that our readers always wanted covered. His archive must be unique, a collection of the national, international, the special, the celebrated and the long forgotten, a record of the great sport photographed by someone who really knew what he was doing, who loved the game, and loved his photography. What a treasure trove it will be!
Tim Bishop
Deputy Pic Ed Sunday Telegraph
Pete Jenkins and I go back a long way - a time when newspapers had money and photographers had to know a lot more than just how to press a button. I was at the sports Picture Editor at the Sunday Times, and he was always my first call when I was looking for good rugby pictures, particularly club action. Pete, as well as running his company, seemed to be able to be everywhere, and covering every game. And his knowledge of players and clubs was immense. And he always managed to pull a picture of a player out of the bag for me, no matter how obscure. His pictures capture some great moments and some legendary players. I am really looking forward to seeing his shots in the Back of a Motorbike feed.
Jeremy Bayston
Sunday Times
I used to play schoolboy rugby, I was scrum half, so an absolute delight to discover this new Rugby Union photographic archive, a unique collection of never seen before photographs, that brings back great memories of this rough tough contact sport, during the last two decades of the 20th century. Importantly every Gallery and File has been accurately captioned, with names and a date. What a joy to use this new archive, what a great body of work.
HOMER SYKES
veteran 'fleet Street' photographer
Rugby has always been important and my time as a Wasps player will always be a part of me, and I maintain my connection to the club and game as a founder of Wasps Legends and the Wasps Charitable Foundation. We have raised the best part of a £1m for various good causes since it was set up in 2011. I never worried about photographs as a player, so learning about this new online resource for mostly unpublished rugby photographs has been a revelation, I have already found 18 photos, photographs I have never seen before, maybe there will be enough to make up a photo album, making a wonderful memento of my rugby playing career. I am looking forward to seeing more photos in this new web based archive. Pete has been amazing helping me relive some incredible memories and I know many of my ex colleagues will be clients as well.