Can you elaborate a bit?
I think some of the teams gave the cameras complete access - Into the Changing rooms and team huddles etc. but others weren't so keen.
Think the Irish team didn't allow them completely unfiltered access as I recall.
I seem to recall there being a bit of friction right at the beginning between where the Camera crews thought they could/should have access and what the teams and players felt comfortable with etc.
My recollection may be inaccurate but I recall there was a period of around 2 - 3 weeks where reports emerged in the media that some of the teams (including Ireland) were unhappy with the level of access or that the crews were too intrusive.
I always wondered was there a bit more to it - as it was abrupt and seemed to only be a few of the teams. I'm sure the journo's poked about a bit but nothing more came of it.
I think that there hadn't been a huge amount of communications about the specifics of filming with the players and coaches themselves . The deal was done between the production company and the 6N's organisers.
So when the cameras arrived they assumed that they could go everywhere and be the "fly on the wall" for every little detail which some of the squads weren't happy with - Ireland definitely pushed back on access to team-talks etc.
Think there was a bit of "Who are you and where do you think you going with the camera!" going on.
It went quiet after a week or two , probably after the Production company sat down with Team Management and clarified the ground rules - Something that should have been done long before the thing started.
It was a weird idea. Netflix pays pretty much nothing to the 6N or the teams and makes a documentary which is supposed to increase interest in rugby?
That sounds like a completely reasonable idea, until the teams don't cooperate, so it'll probably be rubbish. They are also about 2 years late to the table, each sport that releases one of these gets less and less attention.
I'll watch it either way, but a year later seems counter intuitive to me.
Seems to be following the same format as Drive to Survive has been doing the last 5 years
2022 F1 Season droped on netflix in Febuary, 2023 season started in March.
Suppose the difference is there's only one F1 competition and thats the World Championship, where as alot will have happened between the 2023 and 2024 Six nations as is the nature of Rugby.
And at least a 3rd (if not more) of the players involved in this past years 6N's will be retired/dropped from the new season so it'll be a bit weird..
I'd say the more open teams are to the camera the longer gap they'd want also.
Anyway the 6N is the prime competition in Europe. We have a RWC this year but in general the 6N is when rugby interest will be highest. Makes sense to release just before the next one.
The difference is though the 2022 F1 season only finished in late November. So their turnaround time from filming to release was about 3 months.
11 months turnaround for the rugby one is way too long, the previous year's competition will be way out of people's minds. A summer release mightn't be ideal for viewership, but even September as rugby season kicks off again would probably be better.
Ehh, thats what I kinda said
.....where as alot will have happened between the 2023 and 2024 Six nations as is the nature of Rugby
Agree 100% with your point though
I've made the point recently that theres a bunch of players in the AIL that could be poorly paid professionals if they want to (finding berths in MLR/NPC/Championship/Federale).
Its upto them if they want to work for half nothing abroad away from family but its an option.
Oh most certainly i know plenty who have done it but theres only so long you can do that before you just have to come back and earn a decent wage/give up the pro rugby side of things.
Had a few mates from back home who had only ever played club rugby (level below NPC) spend a good few years playing in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. They'd get their accommodation and a vehicle and few hundred bucks a week or be set up with a "job". They loved it as young single guys. Travel the world and play rugby.
Some then returned to NZ and actually played NPC and even Super Rugby.
I think we'll see more Irish lads do this. Both Treadwell and Thornbury spent time in NZ I think.
The Bus on the way to the Highlanders??
Hopefully!!!
Wales definitely had a particular issue with Netflix from memory - it was around the time of their threats to strike.
Don’t think they had an issue. As part of their strike action they withdrew cooperation.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/28/wales-warren-gatland-raises-worries-netflix-six-nations-documentary-rugby-union
Yes but that had nothing to do with them withdrawing their permission. That didn’t come till the strike.
I didn't say it had anything 'to do with them withdrawing their permission' - I said 'Wales definitely had a particular issue with Netflix'.
The article you posted was from January, before the tournament began. Questions asked directly to Gatland.
I am pretty sure Andy Farrell responded to questions about it in a similar manner at the time. I don’t think any of the coaches were overly impressed by it.
Withdrawing access was part of the strike action for leverage with the WRU. Nothing to do with the issues raised by Gatland in that response.
I'm not really that bothered to be honest. Are you this argumentative with everybody or did I earn a special focus by daring to suggest earlier that Scotland had narrowed the gap on Ireland since the 6N?
Incidentally, Shane Horgan writing in the Sunday Times seems to think that it's not the slam dunk that some imagine: “……. I have no difficulty imagining Scotland coming out on top against the Springboks a week today. I’m not saying it will happen, but Gregor Townsend’s team are coming to the boil nicely. If you look back to the Six Nations game against Ireland at Murrayfield, the first half at any rate, you see that they are one of the few sides to have tested Ireland out in the wide channels. There were times during that opening 40 minutes when the Irish defence was stretched to its limit and only a combination of luck, desperation and Scottish inaccuracy kept the home side’s try count to one. South Africa won’t find it any easier.”
Facts matter, it’s easy to be down on Wales. In fact I love being down on Wales. If you have difficulty having the facts pointed out. I’d suggest a public comments board may be difficult.
As for Scotland, I hope they do come out on top. I can’t see it though, SA play the exact type of game Scotland struggle with. As things stand, SA are probably favorites going into the tournament. We have an interesting month ahead of us.
Once again rugby is slow to the party.
If only you had pointed out facts….
If only you understood what facts are. You claimed Wales definitely had an issue with the Netflix documentary around the time of their strike. Then posted an article about comments Gatland made 2 months before the strike. Conflating two things that had absolutely nothing to do with each other.
Might have dated very badly depending on how the WC ends up. If Ireland/France are out in the QF to Boks and All Blacks, Scotland out in the pools, whilst England scrape through to the SF due to their easy draw then the 6N documentary ends up looking very inconsistent with reality.
Gatland's comments reported 28 Jan 2023
Wales strike threats reported 14 February 2023
That is not "...2 months before the strike..." as you claimed, and to any reasonable person looking at it 7 months later it is clearly "...around the time..." which is what I said.
I, for one, won't care. I'll be on it like a fly on ****.
All of these docs come out to tie in with the upcoming events when interest is highest. It would be bizarre to do it otherwise.
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