Rugby’s biggest names have not been rushing to hail the arrival of Netflix to make a documentary series on the forthcoming Six Nations. The chance of a worldwide showcase for the Championship’s undoubted talent and tumult appears enticing, but the cautious optimism expressed by Owen Farrell is typical.
“I am sure it will be good for the sport,” the England captain said on Tuesday. “If any of the other [Netflix] series are anything to go by, they have taken some sports to different levels. Hopefully people can tell their sides to things, in terms of background, upbringing, the things that people do off the field as well as on it.”
In the eight-week project, film crews from the London-based Box to Box – the production company responsible for “Drive to Survive” in Formula One, “Break Point” in tennis, and “Make or Break” in surfing – have started work on a series expected to be broadcast this time next year, and i understands the aim is for six to eight episodes.
It is said Scotland and Italy have thrown their doors open to players’ meetings and dressing-room chat, but others are less keen. Maybe it’s an inherent conservatism; maybe there are worries over fresh publicity for rugby’s woes regarding concussion and other matters. The fee involved appears insignificant, as the Irish Independent reported a payment of around £100,000 to each of the six unions. An England insider made pointed reference to this being a Six Nations project, even though England are shareholders in that umbrella organisation.
So what might the viewer, new or old, be keen to see? Hookers painting their toe-nails? Don’t laugh. The injured England No.2 Luke Cowan-Dickie showed his on BT Sport recently, albeit the artwork was perpetrated by his young daughter. How about contract negotiations, doping tests, run-ins with team-mates or opponents or referees? Now we’re talking – or maybe not.
Ellis Genge is the kind of engaging and photogenic player you would expect a director to shine an arc light on. But the England prop said on Tuesday: “One of our reservations around having the cameras in [was] that people could start playing up or go within themselves. But they’re not in meetings where people are speaking. They’ve just been around the gym today, recording boys chucking a bit of tin about. I don’t think it’ll affect the way you bench or squat.”
Warren Gatland’s return to Wales as head coach should be a good story line, but the New Zealander, too, aired his reservations. “My understanding is we don’t have any editorial rights and that is a little bit of a concern,” Gatland said. “The language or the phrases used aren’t always appropriate – when you’re talking about nations playing each other, the things said in the changing room might not be something that’s always believed, but it’s a part of getting the best out of your performance.”
Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong is an eminent denizen of the front row, who treat their tactics with the same secretive reverence as The Magic Circle and their conjuring tricks. Furlong has seen “Drive to Survive”, which has reached a fifth season to great acclaim, and said. “You don’t see them talking about engineering, you don’t see them talking about little pieces they put on their cars, and why they did it. I know [Max] Verstappen knocked it out, he doesn’t fancy it. I’m not sure how much rugby intellectual property I’d like to leak from the group.”
Ben Morel, the Six Nations’ chief executive who is leaving for French football at the end of the Championship, told i there would be “optionality” over access. But he at least was enthusiastic.
“It’s not like a movie, you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Morel said. “You need to see what storylines unfold; it’s unscripted. Obviously, the more you are embracing it, and open, the more you’re going to get quality material. The stars are the players and coaches, but you’re not quite sure who, because you might have an injury – so you need to probably film a lot and then see. There are so many people in the world that do not know enough about the Six Nations.”
Farrell said he had watched all the previous Netflix sports series: “I’m not sure I’d be too keen in watching myself in one! But we’ll see.”
And to the question of whether he’d be happy having a lens trained on a tub-thumping speech, Farrell’s reply was a sidestep. “Hopefully we wouldn’t have to give some sort of big speech before a game because we have already done our work. Look, there has always been cameras around here. We have our own stuff that goes out on social media. I don’t think it’ll make too much difference.”
