Gareth Ball is an artist who has developed a special interest in rugby. He is now the official Bath artist and has been commissioned to produce a series of player portraits as well as a major panoramic of the Recreation Ground in Bath, Somerset. Ball was born in Wales and believes his passion for the game became embalmed in his talent for painting. He says: “The grimace on the face and the strain on the bodies makes for a wonderful subject. I have exhibited my rugby work alongside that of my ballet and they have much in common. Indeed it was a similarity first pointed out by a teacher at the Royal Ballet. Take the lifting for example, the technique and movement involved with lifts in ballet is almost identical to that of lifting in the lineout.”