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.

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.

Women of Steel(en)

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.

Le réveil des Eléphants(fr)

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.

Champions Factory: New Zealand's Black Blood(fr)

Les Trois Glorieuses du XV de France(fr)

Clive Sullivan: Rugby League Legend(en)

Football icon Nathan Blake uncovers the incredible story of a Welsh rugby legend: his uncle, Clive Sullivan, who was the first black man to captain Great Britain in any sport.

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.

Murderball(en)

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

Cut(en)

A peculiar homage to the things that go wrong, this film is purportedly about rugby. The self-explanatory title for this jumpy “documentary” is less concerned with the filmed subject (the game, the field, the players) than a comic editing style and the complete acknowledgement given to the technical aspect of gathering and manipulating raw footage.

Living With The Pride: Lions Tour 2009(en)

Documentary following The British & Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa

XV Beyond the Tryline(en)

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.

Oceans Apart: Greed, Betrayal and Pacific Island Rugby(en)

Presented by former Samoa rugby player Dan Leo, who sacrificed his own career to confront corruption in his national union, Oceans Apart looks at the bond between the Pacific and modern Rugby and reveals the darker side of the sport.

Rise: The Siya Kolisi Story(en)

The story of the first black South African rugby captain who against all odds led the South African national team to win the 2019 World Cup Rugby and in turn unites the country.

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.

Everybody's Game(en)

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.

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.

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.

The Andes Tragedy: 50 Years Later(en)

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.