Great new film series profiling the individuals challenging the macho stereotypes of rugby

Date
2 October 2015

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The Spartans is a rugby team representing Manchester’s gay village, and in this short film we see all sides of team life, from practice through to the administration, recruitment and the Manchester pride parade. With no junior to senior progression, new players are recruited through the social scene, mainly around Canal Street or from Manchester Pride. As an inclusive team, their aim is to attract people who may be unlikely to adopt rugby as a sport, and don’t fit the “ruggers” stereotype of posh boys in tiny shorts. One of the players describes their outlook as: “rugby is a sport for everyone, as long as you can turn up, play and have a laugh afterwards. That’s the main thing really.”

The films are well-lit and the shots are considered without being intrusive to the narrative or individuals in each story. In the Spartans film one recruit, Daniel Goldthorpe, described himself as “probably not being very good” at rugby on the basis that he’s “lightweight” but after some encouragement we see him at his first training match and already relaying the positive feeling of being part of a team, picking the sport up from scratch. Later on, club member Robbie Stone recalls: “You see people coming out of their shell at the club, especially if you’ve helped recruit them or you remember them joining. I remember a few guys coming last year and you see them now, totally different people, really confident. I think that’s the nature of the club, it’s sort of a family.”

The series of shorts is part of a new campaign for the Rugby Football Union. The films are available to watch here, with profiles on individual players from teams in east London, Bristol and the England under 18s, as well as the Manchester Village Spartans.

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