Netflix confirms Six Nations 2023 documentary

Netflix has confirmed there will be a Six Nations documentary series on the streaming platform next year with cameras set to go behind the scenes of the 2023 championship.

The streaming giant confirmed that cameras will follow all six sides, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and defending champions France, as they go about trying to win the tournament in a World Cup year.

It is a massive boon for rugby which will hope to replicate the success and cut-through achieved by Formula 1’s Drive to Survive series which many have credited for the growth of the sport, particularly in the USA.

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On Twitter, Netflix said: “Netflix will not only give you access to the biggest names in golf, tennis & racing — as well as the Invictus Games! — but we are proud to announce three new docuseries as well. Get ready to go inside: The Tour de France, FIFA World Cup, Rugby’s Guinness Six Nations Championship.

“That’s right – rugby’s getting in on the act! We’ll follow all six teams through one of the most iconic and hard-fought competitions in the sport. Six Nations (working title) will feature the upcoming 2023 tournament, and will launch in 2024.”

Rugby fans will get to go behind the scenes of moments like Edoardo Padovani’s 2022 try against Wales that secured Italy’s first Six Nations win in seven years (Getty Images)

It is not the first time rugby has entered the docuseries world with the All Blacks starring in Amazon Prime’s All or Northing series back in 2018.

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“This eclectic group of new and returning series reinforces that we are committed to delivering the best sports stories to our fans,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series.

“By going behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest sporting events with unprecedented access, we have a unique opportunity to share the triumphs, tribulations and drama of these iconic moments with our hundreds of millions of global members.”

Rugby World says…

“After a few years of talking about it, a deal has finally been landed,” writes editor Alan Dymock.

“Talking to sources, there were discussions about athlete image rights to navigate in a few different ways, and this in a world in which at the 11th hour, a documentary series with a prominent side at the 2019 Rugby World Cup fell through – hey, no access all-areas series is a piece of cake to line up.

“As one insider at the Six Nations told us, they believe a well-made doc could be a “silver bullet” for bringing new fans in and making heroes of the tournament’s best players. The caveat I would put forward is that in order to be well done, though, it needs to reflect the real fun and conflict of the event, and genuinely afford the filmmakers what is mentioned above: real access all areas.

“If teams or tournament organisers try to massage, polish or soften anything, it might not deliver the Drive to Survive-style wins everyone wants. But if it is a real look inside and everyone lets the documentary makers cook, the potential is enormous.”

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