From Formula 1: Drive to Survive to Full Swing, these shows offer unprecedented access, pulling back the curtain on the raw emotions and pressures of elite sports. Leading the charge is Box to Box Productions, whose documentary series - which include those named above - have redefined sports storytelling. At the heart of these productions lies a delicate balance between gaining access and earning the trust of athletes, coaches, and unions - something that was vital to the success of their first foray into rugby union with Six Nations: Full Contact, released back in January and which has been commissioned for a second season.
Humanising, not sensationalising
The most critical component of producing a successful sports documentary is trust. For Box to Box, this means a lot more than just capturing the best moments of action on the field. It means convincing athletes, coaches, and national unions that they are not there to sensationalise but to humanise.
James Gay-Rees, the Emmy and Academy Award-winning producer at the helm of Box to Box, understands this better than anyone. Ahead of the premiere of the first Six Nations series, Gay-Rees spoke to us about how securing access for Full Contact was a careful negotiation built on trust and transparency.
In Full Contact, Gay-Rees and his team showcase the Guinness Men’s Six Nations from an entirely new perspective, diving into the emotional and psychological journey of the players during the 2023 campaign. But this access did not come easily. Rugby is a high-pressure sport with intense national pride on the line, and coaches and players are wary of distractions. To break down these barriers, Box to Box spent time reassuring all parties involved that they were there to tell a compelling, respectful story – one that would celebrate the spirit of the Championship, rather than interfere with it.
Capturing vulnerability in high-stakes moments
What sets Netflix documentaries apart from traditional sports coverage is the way they focus not just on the games but on the people involved in them. For Full Contact, this has meant delving into the personal stories of the players, exploring their fears, sacrifices, and dreams; players like Ireland prop Andrew Porter, who opens up about the heartbreaking event that marked his teenage years, and the overwhelming emotional burden it placed on him during one of the most difficult periods of his life.
To do this effectively, Gay-Rees and his team had to navigate sensitive moments such as locker room discussions and strategy meetings, where emotions run high and tensions can flare.
Watch Season 1 of 'Six Nations: Full Contact' on Netflix
Gaining this level of access involves walking a fine line. Teams need to feel that the cameras won't compromise their performance or reveal critical tactics. "It's all about building rapport and knowing when to step back," Gay-Rees has said. By sometimes deploying a collaborative editorial approach, ensuring that sensitive footage is used responsibly, the series makers create an environment where athletes and coaches feel secure.
In the first Six Nations series, for example, audiences saw the intensity of preparation and the behind-the-scenes dynamics that fans rarely see. Full Contact sought to illuminate the emotional undercurrents that define these athletes' experiences.
The exciting prospect of Season 2
Following the success of the first season, Netflix commissioned a second series of Full Contact, promising to dive even deeper into the drama of the Championship. The 2024 tournament delivered some of the most unforgettable moments in recent rugby history, setting the stage for a highly anticipated continuation of the series.
While exact details are under wraps for this upcoming season of Full Contact, it promises to capture all the gripping narratives that surrounded the 2024 campaign that viewers of the games didn’t get to see on their screens; delving even deeper into the lives of the players and the inner sanctum of the competing teams, and all of the tensions that entails.
With the success of season one, the stakes are even higher for season two, with viewers eager to see how the teams’ fortunes have evolved, how key players rise to the occasion, and how new talent shakes up the traditional rugby order. Much of the anticipation lies in which players will form the focal point for the new series, with an intriguing cast – including Louis Rees-Zammit, who spectacularly announced his departure to NFL on the eve of this year’s Championship, and the England-baiting Finn Russell – having entertained audiences last time out.
Producing a balanced narrative
One of the key challenges in creating sports documentaries is maintaining balance. The Guinness Men’s Six Nations isn't just about the players; it's also about national identities and historical rivalries. As Gay-Rees has noted, the documentary's goal is to tell the story of the Six Nations in a way that feels honest and authentic to everyone involved.This requires collaboration between the producers, national rugby unions, and the players themselves.
A broad array of stakeholders also lent itself to the storytelling process, as Gay-Rees told us last year: “What’s great about the competition and therefore the show is that the DNA of the French team is incredibly different to the DNA of the Scottish team, for example. So from my point of view, that made it fascinating to understand and convey these wildly different countries to an audience. Then you make a virtue of that by contrasting all these different hues, literally down to the way they play rugby. It’s a real gift.”
Box to Box took a similar approach when developing other high-profile documentaries like Drive to Survive, where they had to convince notoriously private F1 teams to grant unparalleled access. Gay-Rees' team has honed their ability to gain trust, particularly in sports cultures that are traditionally guarded. This trust, once earned, enables them to capture the moments that fans truly crave: raw emotions, unfiltered reactions, and intimate insights into the athletes' lives.
The wider impact of Netflix sports documentaries
The success of Full Contact has followed the trajectory of previous Netflix sports documentaries, which have ushered in a golden age for sports storytelling. As more sports organisations see the benefits of opening their doors to filmmakers, audiences are being treated to an ever-growing slate of series that explore new sports, new perspectives, and deeper insights.
With Full Contact, Netflix is tapping into one of the most passionately followed sporting competitions in the world. Viewers are now able to appreciate the raw intensity and vulnerability of the players in a way that has never been seen before, but also in a manner that has attracted a new audience that simply appreciates the stories behind what it takes to be elite-level athletes.
Fans of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, as well as those new to the game, can look forward to another thrilling instalment that promises even greater insight, drama, and emotional highs in its second series. We look forward to bring you updates on the release of season two of Six Nations: Full Contact in due course.
