Rugby League Doc Coming to BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer will debut Once Were Lions, a new documentary about the Great Britain Rugby League Lions’ 2019 tour to the southern hemisphere.

Once Were Lions follows the team from New Zealand to Papua New Guinea, examining the game and reflecting on the Lions’ performance. The feature-length film also explores issues of masculinity, race, class, friendship, ambition and sacrifice in the sport, and looks ahead to its future, with the 2021 Rugby League World Cup due to be hosted in England.

Once Were Lions is slated to premiere on BBC iPlayer on November 21. It was produced by Chalkboard Television and Ad Hoc Films.

Dan McGolpin, controller of BBC iPlayer, said: “This gripping documentary film gives iPlayer viewers privileged access to the GB Lions squad on tour together with fascinating insights into Rugby League, its roots and its future. Whether you are new to the sport or already a fan, it’s an enjoyable and rewarding watch ahead of next year’s World Cup.”

Mike Benson, executive producer at Chalkboard, said: “Once Were Lions is about much more than a rugby league tour… it is about forgotten towns and teams, and a proud sport that’s in search of a future. Rugby League has always been tied to class, industry, stereotypes and politics—something it still struggles to escape and our film seeks to explore these themes.”

Ad Hoc Films’ Mat Hodgson added: “We are always drawn to high-end sporting stories that can provide a dramatic backdrop to wider issues. Rugby League is a multi-layered sport of extreme physical skill, intense camaraderie and mental demands, which embodies different communities and fosters a strong and deep-rooted sense of social identity. Exploring these issues via behind-the-scenes access to the GB Lions on tour—the bruises, the brutal blows, the band of brothers kinship—proves to be a compelling examination of the sport’s significance both on the pitch and far beyond.”