WILD IN THE STREETS
Documentary
UK/USA, 89 Minutes
An Ancient game is the lifeblood of an English markettown and some say the the origin of soccer, rugby and American football.
Toward the end of winter on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday the people of Ashbourne gather in the center of their town to renew the longest running sports rivalry on earth. The game is called Shrovetide Football and originates from two medieval communities living opposite the river Henmore. Today, they are known as the Up’ards and Down’ards.
Each team consists of hundreds if not thousands of people. The field of play . . .the town itself. There is no referee and few rules. Each game begins at 2pm and ends at 10pm. The ball cannot be carried in motorized transport. Cemeteries, churchyards and memorials are out of bounds. Under no circumstances is manslaughter to be tolerated.
The object of the game is simple: Get a 4-pound ball to one of 2 goals that lay 3 miles apart.
For the past 1000 years, Kings, Revolutions and Warshave tried to stop this ancient tradition. Against all odds, a passionatecommunity has kept alive a meaning of life, not valued in pounds or dollars but insportsmanship and friendship…to the play the Game.
For the past 10 years the “posh” Up’ards have dominated every contest. As the “dirty” Down’ards prepare for revenge, both teams will have to fight an additional battle; modern society.
I watched The 16th Man last night and was very impressed. I would highly recommend that you set your DVR or schedule a time to watch the documentary. Its not very often that rugby is on ESPN!
Rugby 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.
Air Times:
Tuesday, May 4th, 8pm. ESPN.
Tuesday, May 4, 11pm. ESPN 2.
Thursday, May 6th, 2 am. ESPN 2.
Thursday, May 6th, 11pm. ESPN Classic.
ESPN Film’s 30 for 30 series is an unprecedented documentary series featuring thirty films from some of today’s finest storytellers. Each filmmaker will bring their passion and personal point of view to their film detailing the issues, trends, athletes, teams, rivalries, games and events that transformed the sports landscape from 1979 to 2009.
“A Giant Awakens” is a 60 minute HD sport documentary that explores 130 years of rugby in America.
Rugby, the worlds’ contact sport, is played in over 100 countries on 6 continents by men and women of all ages. What surprises most sports enthusiasts in America is that the Rugby World Cup is the 3rd most watched sporting event in the world, only behind the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games.
The success of rugby in America has been referred to as the “sleeping giant” that would considerably improve world rugby because of its large athletic population, affluent consumer base, successful professional sports franchises, and a deep connection to major international businesses.
Through the lens of award winning filmmaker Sylvain Doreau, the essence, spirit, and challenges of American rugby are captured at all levels from youth to the USA Men’s National Team. This documentary takes you on a journey from Olympic glory in the 1920′s, to rugby’s 50 year hibernation in the US, to the USA Eagles capturing the hearts of all rugby fans at the 2007 World Cup in France.
American rugby today is about a few hundred thousand passionate players, coaches, referees, administrators and fans sharing the love they have for the game and developing that giant into the international powerhouse of the past. This is their story of passion, commitment, sacrifice, hope and success.
With highlights of key events and interviews with players, coaches, and administrators, “A Giant Awakens” is a “must see” for any sports fan.
Help the next generation of American rugby Olympians defend the gold. Buy your copy of “A Giant Awakens” and share your love of the game with new players and supporters. Volume pricing available for resale or team fundraising.
20% of the films profits go to support youth rugby in America.
A GIANT AWAKENS: TREASURE HUNTING FOR OLYMPIC HISTORY
“A Giant Awakens: The Rise of American Rugby” has gone through numerous phases in its development. The HD sports documentary initially planned to include a very brief introduction about American rugby history and then connect with the USA Eagle’s qualifying for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Few people in the US are aware that Gridiron American football evolved from rugby. Virtually no one knows that rugby was the number 1 collegiate sport in the US in the early 1900’s, that rugby was ever in the Olympics, and the US is the reigning gold medal winners. Some have no clue the sport even exists. This is a fascinating and unheralded part of US sports history that director Sylvain Doreau wanted to uncover. Surprisingly, the main source of documents was not in the US, but in France.
Thanks to the rugby blog community, Sylvain found a French collector, Frederic Humbert, who has one of the most complete blogs about rugby history ( www.rugbypionneers.com). Sylvain sent him an email requesting anything related to US rugby history. To his surprise, Frederic uncovered dozen of rare photos prints of the early days of rugby in the US.
This fantastic collection of pre-WW1 college rugby photos when the collegiate finals could bring 35,000 spectators to a rugby game in the US. He also had an extensive collection of photos from the 1920 and 1924 Olympics and connected Sylvain with an Olympic historian, Pierre Vitalien, who wrote a book (in French) about rugby at the Olympics. Sylvain also filmed at the University of California, Berkeley Club house, a goldmine of rugby memorabilia.
While the photos were incredible, this was a film and not a slide show. Somewhere there had to be footage filmed at the Olympics. Then Frederic Humbert mentioned to Sylvain that he recently bought some old 8mm newsreels from 1924 at an auction that may include footage of the Olympic final. Sylvain immediately jumped on the opportunity and Frederic graciously printed and digitized the newsreels in a specialized lab in Paris.
When Sylvain downloaded the footage sent by Frederic, he cried of joy. With Frederic, Sylvain helped uncover an amazing piece of sports history! Beside few scratches, the print is incredibly detailed, and the action is filmed from the sideline and behind the posts. It has an incredible emotional power, like “Chariots of Fire”, like you’re actually running with these guys! Also, you can see from the build of the American players, that that team, composed of Californian college players, was made of exceptional athletes.
The historical footage totally changed the direction of the project, and there is now a 10mn intro on US rugby history. We also included more interviews about the inclusion of Sevens Rugby for the 2016 Olympics.
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