NZ On Screen Rugby Collection

With selections from legendary commentator Keith Quinn, this collection celebrates rugby in New Zealand as it's been seen onscreen: from classic bios and tour docos, to social history, dramas and protest.

The front row of the collection are 1989 All Black tour doco The Good, the Bad, and the Rugby (presented by star winger John Kirwan); old school 60s doco The Making of an All Black; and All Blacks-cut-slo-mo-to-Tchaikovsky cult film Score ... and there are plenty more gems in the mud: from George Nepia’s This is Your Life, to Graham Thorne’s notorious perm.

Playwright David Geary provides superb introductory words musing on rugby, religion, and ... Shortland Street. The Lovelock's Dream Run scribe's underlying proposition — that rugby's role has long been to give Kiwis “something to talk about” — is especially timely as the ‘winningest’ team in the sport’s history strives to win a World Cup on home soil.

“Rugby – is it a religion? It gives us community. We worship those who sacrifice their bodies for the good of all. It makes beer taste better. Hell, there’s even a Sin Bin.”

Legendary sports broadcaster Keith Quinn provides a history of rugby commentary in New Zealand; and in a ScreenTalk interview reveals the truth behind ‘that’ moment, when commentating on the 1995 Rugby World Cup semi-final Quinn's grasping for words as a taro-fuelled combine harvester (aka Jonah Lomu) ran over English defenders en route to the line — "Lomu ... oh ... oh!" — has become an inextricable part of one of rugby’s most famous tries.

Enjoy .. and go the All Blacks!

NZ On Screen is fully funded by NZ On Air. All content is free to view.

ENDS

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