A new documentary about the teams competing in the Six Nations aims to show that not all rugby players are “privileged private school boys” anymore.
As another Six Nations season begins, many rugby fans won’t know what to do with themselves while waiting for the next match to start.
Film producer James Gay-Rees has offered one option to fans in his latest documentary Six Nations: Full Contact, now available on Netflix.
The documentary shares the story of all six teams competing in the 2023 Six Nations, revealing their lives both on and off the field.
Mr Gay-Rees' previous work includes Formula One: Drive to Survive and Amy about singer Amy Winehouse.
The film producer told The Anton Savage Show his newest documentary is a “dream job” for him as a former rugby player and avid fan.
“It shows a side of rugby that really needs to be shown,” he said.
“International rugby is obviously a huge spectacle but a bit like Formula One, very little is known about the players who play it until you get inside these documentaries.
“Then you realise you have these cool young guys who train incredibly intensely and have to get themselves to an extraordinary kind of physical condition and mental condition.
“[It’s a] glamourous, poetic game and it’s about time that somebody got behind the curtain and showed these young guys for who they really are.”
Rugby 'misconceptions'
In particular, Mr Gay-Rees wanted to challenge the “misconception” about what kind of people play rugby.
“I think there's a lot of beer-swilling, macho sort of type,” he said. “Of course, there’s an element of that, then you look at modern international rugby.
“They come from lots of different backgrounds, they’re not all privileged private school boys - far from it.”
The film producer agreed there is also an element of social change in rugby that is including more people.
“I think it’s time that people were aware of the different type of people who play rugby,” he said.
“You can relate to them much more easily... There's a vast array of people playing and it's really interesting to show that.”
All eight episodes of Six Nations: Full Contact are available to stream on Netflix now.
Listen back here:
