NO TEARS ON THE FIELD: In This Scrum, Sisterhood Is The Strategy

• Kiwi feature documentary NO TEARS ON THE FIELD explores the untold story of grassroots women’s rugby in Aotearoa through to the world stage
• A film by award-winning director Lisa Burd, distributed by Madman Entertainment
• Coming to New Zealand cinemas on March 19, 2026
• Women’s rugby, one of the fastest growing sports, has become one of Aotearoa’s great sporting success stories.

NO TEARS ON THE FIELD, the new feature documentary from award-winning Taranaki filmmaker Lisa Burd, goes back to where it all began for our legends - grassroots rugby.

Directed by Burd (Changing Gear, Monterey, Let’s Talk About Sex, The Pinkies Are Back), the film examines resilience and authenticity; community and family; and laughter and camaraderie. It shows young women daring to dream big and leaves audiences gasping, laughing and ultimately believing in what’s possible.

NO TEARS ON THE FIELD has already been called “the heartwarming hit of the year” and “a love letter to grassroots rugby” by reviewers and audiences at early screenings have been blown away by the humour and stunning backdrop of Taranaki where the film was shot.

What unfolds is a raw, up-close look at the early pulse of women’s rugby: fiercely competitive, deeply personal, and powered by sheer determination. Authentic to the core, these players' journeys resonate far beyond the try line, echoing the experiences of young women everywhere. This is a universal, global story - born from a small patch of Taranaki earth and carried forward by the dreamers who play for love of the game.

Their stories are interwoven with the rise of rugby superstar Michaela Brake (née Blyde), linking Taranaki’s local club fields to the global stage and showing young players what’s possible. Together, these women showcase the heart of Taranaki rugby: family, community, resilience and the belief that women’s strength - emotional and physical - deserves to be seen, celebrated, and supported.

Filmmaker Lisa Burd, born and bred in Taranaki, wanted to capture the beauty of the game, its community and some of the early history of women’s rugby including the one and only Black Fern's women's coach who put club rugby on the map.

“As a kid I would make up the numbers in my brother’s rugby team during training nights. But when it came to the real deal, Saturday’s game - I wasn’t allowed to play. Girls didn’t play rugby. It has been a bugbear for me. Simply, why shouldn’t girls play rugby?” comments Burd.

Filming over a full hard-fought season of grassroots competition, the film follows four young women balancing the on-field intensity and competition with the realities of their lives off it.

From the farms and classrooms of Taranaki to the front lines of the women’s game, Kate Thomson (Southern Rugby Club), Maddison Davison, Mereana Anderson and Phoenix Fraser (all Clifton Rugby Club) each carry a powerful story shaped by family, adversity and fierce determination.

Kate Thomson, a proud dairy farmer and Southern Rugby stalwart, left home at 17 to chase farm work and often found herself the only woman on the land. Now she’s aiming to become the first woman in Taranaki to reach 100 premier games, playing every match for her beloved Nana Sue and her late stepdad. Despite numerous sporting and farming injuries and dealing with the isolation of farm life, Kate remains one of the region’s toughest and most driven players.

Maddison Davison grew up in a sporting family and on the family farm, where a childhood accident in the cowshed left her with a lifelong injury that she rarely talks about. Rugby became her anchor and a way to stay close to her father Justin, Clifton’s coach. As she pushes toward earning her club blazer, she hopes he’ll coach just one more season so he can be there when she does.

Mereana Anderson, a Taranaki schoolteacher by day and a dominant force on the field by weekend, credits her success to her father, Theodore - her role model and biggest supporter. From helping raise her younger siblings to earning a spot at the first-ever Black Ferns scrum camp, Mereana represents the new wave of women in rugby: grounded, powerful, and driven by family pride.

Phoenix Fraser brings glamour, speed, and ferocity to the Clifton backline. A true athlete who started her sports journey in Surf club, Kenpo, Hockey, Surfing, Gymnastics then onto Basketball, Touch, Rugby and Rugby League. Phoenix’s rugby and league journey is fuelled by the memory of her father, Dan, who passed away suddenly while surfing. What began as Saturday sport has become a huge part of her life’s journey.

NO TEARS ON THE FIELD will be released theatrically in New Zealand on Thursday March 19, 2026, and is distributed by Madman Entertainment. The film is produced by Kiwi Burd Films and completed with the support of the Feature Film Finishing Grant from The New Zealand Film Commission Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga. It is directed and produced by Lisa Burd along with co-producers Bernadette Courtney and Alex Lee.

NO TEARS ON THE FIELD - Synopsis

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Lisa Burd (The Pinkies Are Back), NO TEARS ON THE FIELD is an inspiring story of family, community and sisterhood set against the backdrop of a season of grassroots club rugby in Taranaki. Filmed over two years, it follows two local teams and several individual players - including Sevens Superstar Michaela Brake, as they navigate ambition, community and personal challenges.

Capturing the joy and camaraderie of the game, the film goes beyond the hits and triumphs on the field to reveal the emotional weight off the pitch - how their love of rugby intertwines with balancing work, whānau and the demands of rural life.

ABOUT LISA BURD – DIRECTOR / PRODUCER / CAMERA

Lisa has a keen interest in others and enjoys telling their stories. This curiosity has led to her spending over 20 years working in film production and creating self-funded, award-winning documentaries. Her instinctive (and not intrusive) interviewing style elicits insights and observations that even surprise the interviewee sometimes. The sensitivity she brings to a project creates a space where the authentic story can shine through. She has talked with people at the end of their lives, she has followed people pushing their physical limits, she has documented businesses growing and evolving – regardless of the subject she can find the truth and rawness behind it. Lisa is a creative, lateral thinker with a proven ability to establish a rapport with all types of people and to engage, motivate and manage the various stakeholders in a production, often to challenging deadlines. As a director Lisa has created four independent documentaries, CHANGING GEAR (2005), MONTEREY (2016), LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX (2018), THE PINKIES ARE BACK (2021) and her latest NO TEARS ON THE FIELD (2025).

In the television industry she’s worked as a camera director/field producer in factual\ observational and reality TV shows such as LIFE FLIGHT, and filmed research projects for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga for the University of Auckland through to Qantas Award-winning Best Informative Show PEPI for Whakaata Māori (Māori Television).

She has also worked on the high profile shows THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF AUCKLAND and DANCING WITH THE STARS as a casting/field producer. Lisa has also worked as a visual journalist at the Taranaki Daily News, part of the Stuff group.

ABOUT MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT

Madman Entertainment is an independent distributor with a focus on remarkable stories. We are proud to share films with audiences in Australia and New Zealand that transcend the screen; start conversations, encourage reflection and empower change. From documentaries that reflect on our national identity, to bold dramas that push the boundaries of cinema, or animated content at the bleeding edge of creativity, Madman represents content that connects with audiences well beyond the cinema or lounge room.

Films distributed by Madman include over 100 Academy Award® nominees and winners. Headlined by 2020’s historic Best Picture win for PARASITE; over 35 documentary nominees and Best Documentary Feature wins for SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN, MAN ON WIRE, FREE SOLO, CITIZENFOUR and THE COVE; over 20 nominations for Best International Film including THE QUIET GIRL, FLEE, CAPERNAUM, TONI ERDMANN, THE HUNT, A ROYAL AFFAIR, DEPARTURES, THE COUNTERFEITERS; and Best Animated Feature winners SPIRITED AWAY, LOVING VINCENT and HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE.

Madman has distributed a number of New Zealand films that rank amongst the highest grossing local films of all time including the 2025 box office smash TINĀ and others including HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, THE BREAKER UPPERERS, SAVAGE recently adding classics SIONES WEDDING & WHALE RIDER to the catalogue.

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