Vodafone has commissioned an hour long behind the scenes documentary on the Irish Rugby team’s tour to South Africa during the summer. The programme will be aired on RTÉ One television on Thursday, November 10th at 10:15pm.
It is a key component of the overall campaign theme that Vodafone has created around the sponsorship under the banner of #TeamOfUs.
“Irish Rugby: What We Did Last Summer” chronicles the team’s historic summer tour to South Africa where, despite missing several key players and reduced to just 14 men, they claimed the first ever Irish victory against the Springboks on their home soil.
The programme captures the highs, lows and emotional reactions of not only the players and management team, but of their families, friends and support network back home too.
Jamie Heaslip is one of those who features in the documentary and was talking about the programme and the forthcoming trip to Chicago in front of media in Dublin yesterday.
“I never really get the chance to look back, other than in a technical sense and this brings back memories of a really great time for me and the team,” he said.
When asked about how he discovered Joe Schmidt was staying on as Ireland manager through to the 2019 Rugby World Cup he revealed that it was through clicking on an Instagram picture of Joe and that there had been no special team meeting or briefing.
“Beating the All Blacks is right up there on the list I want to achieve as a player though it would have strong competition as the highlight of my career,” he added.
Unique
The programme features never before seen footage from the side lines, stands and dressing rooms in Newlands Stadium, Cape Town. While back home, the documentary provides a unique perspective on the match from those closest to the players. The families of Ulster’s Paddy Jackson, Stuart Olding, Iain Henderson and Luke Marshall, who have been firm friends since their fathers played rugby together, are filmed watching the match in Belfast Harlequins Rugby Club.
The fly on the wall documentary aims to get fans closer to the team than ever before with unprecedented access to the Irish set up, including footage filmed by the Irish players themselves. Exclusive interviews with players and management including Rory Best, Jamie Heaslip, Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell provide a unique perspective on the diverse characters that make up the Irish rugby team.
There is also a focus on the off pitch experiences of the squad in South Africa including a visit to the Missionvale township and team excursions on their days off from rugby duties.
If you’ve always wanted to see Jamie Heaslip kissing a Llama then this is the programme for you.
“Vodafone is all about connecting people and our ambition is to help Ireland’s sports fans get closer to the team and build the most interconnected fan base on the planet through the #TeamOfUs platform,” said Anne Mulcahy, Head of Brand & Communications for Vodafone Ireland.
“This documentary offers a unique insight into the Ireland rugby team, taking viewers beyond the 80 minutes on the rugby pitch and into the dressing room, training ground and, in some cases, family homes. It shows the people behind the players, as seen through the eyes of their family, friends and the people who have helped them become the team they are today.”
Taster
“Ahead of RTÉ Sport’s coverage of the Guinness Series this autumn, we are delighted to partner with Vodafone to bring viewers this fascinating taster which takes us behind the scenes of Ireland’s historic South African tour this summer,” added Dermot Rigley, Commercial Head, RTÉ Sport.
“Vodafone has produced a fantastic, engaging and insightful documentary,” concluded IRFU Commercial Director Padraig Power.
“This marks the beginning of our four year partnership reinforcing our collaborative efforts to bring Irish rugby supporters closer to the team. I’m sure viewers will really enjoy it.”
