Being Barbarians

A League of Her Own(en)

Follow the 2021 Queensland State of Origin Women's team as they strive to achieve the extraordinary in one of the most physically demanding professional sports in Australia.

Big Boys Don't Cry(en)

Big Boys Don't Cry' follows Joe Marler as he discusses his own struggles and learns new methods of managing mental wellbeing. The England and Harlequins player has opened up about his battles with mental health during his private life and his time playing rugby on the international stage. The documentary follows Marler as he travels around the UK to open up the conversation around mental health challenges and to learn about how people manage with their mental wellbeing - from taking the plunge in cold water swimming and getting involved in singing in a choir along the way.

Steelers: The World's First Gay Rugby Club(en)

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.

Murderball(en)

Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Right to Work March(en)

They're young, unemployed and on the march - from Glasgow, Liverpool and Swansea to London.

Teros, sueño mundial(es)

The campaign of the Uruguayan rugby team, nicknamed "Los Teros", during the 2015 Rugby World Cup qualification, and the amateur character of its players that contrasts against the professionalism of their group rivals.

Shoulder to Shoulder(en)

Fifty years since the start of The Troubles, the film captures the remarkable history of the Irish national rugby union team, which despite violence, opposition and partition in Ireland, has brought together players and fans from two countries and united them on and off the rugby pitch. BT Sport ambassador, and former Ireland and British & Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll, takes viewers on a powerful journey as he explores how Irish rugby manages to navigate and nurture a successful team through the years of violence that have claimed the lives of more than 3,500 people. Ireland has been divided not just on a map but by politics, history and religion. However, the Irish Rugby Union has continued to be the governing body of rugby, leading to the remarkable situation of players from two countries competing as one.

The 16th Man(en)

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.

La Plata Rugby Club(it)

An historical documentary that rereads the recent death of Jorge Videla, bloodthirsty dictator of Argentina in the 70’s, telling the disappearance, one by one, of the members of La Plata Rugby club. A tragic and compelling story where the passion for politics and sport is opposed to a fascist - military regime.

All for One(fr)

In a closed locker room, rugby players perform the last pre-match rituals. Warming up their souls and bodies, all tense in anticipation of the fight.

The Gauls(fr)

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.

Chasing Great(en)

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.

Outside Center(en)

Finding community via his gay rugby league, Jamaican-born Desmond navigates life, love, and identity as an immigrant living in Munich, Germany.

Quince: el documental(es)

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.

Premières danses(fr)

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.

By the Balls(en)

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.

Building Jerusalem(en)

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.

Brothers on Three(en)

West Point Rugby's 2023 season after their National Championship win, exploring the team's distinctive culture while offering insight into both rugby and military academy life.

Chi ga vinto?(it)

Living With Lions(en)

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.