Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
With great bawdiness and backbone, a rugby team made up of farmers strive to redeem themselves from a long run of bitter losses. In the face of the hefty demands of farming and fatherhood, the Saturday game becomes the focus of the men’s passions and the ground on which their worth is proved. ‘The Ground We Won’ is a highly authentic, slice of life film about the challenges and joys of manhood, as seen through the rites and rituals of a rural New Zealand rugby club.
Rugby Union has long been viewed in South Africa as a game for the white population, and the country’s success in the sport has been a true source of Afrikaner pride. When the 50-year-old policies and entrenched injustices of apartheid were finally overthrown in 1994, Nelson Mandela’s new government began rebuilding a nation badly in need of racial unity. So the world was watching when South Africa played host to the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Though they had only one non-white player, the South African Springboks gained supporters of all colors as they made an improbable run into the final match where they beat the heavily favored New Zealand team. When Mandela himself marched to the center of the pitch cloaked in a Springbok jersey and shook hands with the captain of the South African team, two nations became one. Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and director Cliff Bestall will tell the emotional story of that cornerstone moment and what it meant to South Africa’s healing process.
After six weeks of gruelling competition, England battle reigning champions Australia. The two teams are inseparable after eighty minutes. Deep into extra time, there are just two minutes left on the clock. England rumble to within 40 yards of the posts. The ball is sent spiralling back to Jonny Wilkinson, the golden boy of English rugby, in a split second he drop kicks for goal and a chance for sporting immortality. It is an astonishing story of pressure, expectation and courage, tracing the roots of success back to the professionalization of the game in the 90s and culminating in that glorious World Cup campaign of 2003 that turned Woodward’s poisoned chalice into a golden cup.
Chasing Great is an insightful portrayal that weaves Richie McCaw's life story into his final season as an All Black, revealing the determination and mental toughness of an international sporting legend who still sees himself as an 'ordinary guy' from small town New Zealand.
Told through the eyes of an Australian news reporter, Eammon Ashton-Atkinson, who moved to the UK to escape depression, the documentary, follows 3 characters on their journey to overcome their struggles as the club competes against 60 other gay clubs in the Bingham Cup in Amsterdam – the World Cup of gay rugby.
In 1972, a plane carrying an Uruguayan rugby team disappeared into the Argentinean Andes. Now, 50 years after one of the greatest ordeals of survival in recorded human history, the full story is finally comprehensively told through the words of each of those who lived it.
One of Australia’s greatest coaches and leaders, Craig Bellamy, invites us into his inner sanctum as he aims to lead the Melbourne Storm to ultimate success in 2024.
Chi ga vinto?
A journey through the golden age of Spanish rugby, from the late eighties to the early nineties: the incredible story of men who, with hard work, effort and perseverance, proved that any goal can be achieved.
Directed by British-Nigerian professional rugby player Beno Obano, this candid and personal documentary gives a never-before seen insight into the world of professional rugby.
Sport and politics most definitely do mix in this gripping look back at a brutal and turbulent time for New Zealand rugby, told from the point of view of the players themselves including David Kirk and Buck Shelford.
A behind the scenes look at the sport of rugby with the 2015 Rugby World Cup as a backdrop, featuring interviews from players, coaches, referees and fans.
During the 2013-2014 season, the U19 team of union rugby club of Auch are competing in the Crabos French championship. Teenager Antoine Dupont and his best friend Anthony Jelonch shared victories and defeats during this last season in their hometown, but also unavoidable village parties.
Travelling the Western Front, grave to grave, former All Black Andrew Mehrtens shares the story of the 13 All Blacks killed in WW I.
Exclusive two-disc film documenting the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa in the summer of 1997. The unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the team shows the preparations, the training, the fun, the team selection, the 'earthy' language, the bonding, the awesome task of playing and some shocking footage of injuries. Despite securing the series with wins in the first two tests, the Lions remained motivated by the prospect of a 3-0 whitewash, a feat never achieved against the Springboks throughout the century.
Two segments make up this short film. The first portion called “The French” has two men taste testing some delicious wine, and the other, titled “The Gauls”, is of men playing rugby. This short by Werner Herzog is part of the “The French as Seen By…” series. It was initiated and sponsored by the newspaper Le Figaro, as part of the 1988 celebration of the tenth anniversary of its magazine section.
They're young, unemployed and on the march - from Glasgow, Liverpool and Swansea to London.
Before the summer of 2022, Ireland had never beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand. Using behind the scenes footage and interviews with players and coaches this documentary reflects on the experience of triumphing in New Zealand for the first time.
Following the England Women’s Rugby League squad as they build up to the biggest competition of their lives, a home World Cup in October 2022. This raw and honest journey takes a look at the women who are battling for a place in the squad, despite not being paid professionals and having to hold down full-time jobs alongside club rugby and England commitments.