The ‘Two Sides’ documentary, the critically-acclaimed three-part behind-the-scenes series on the historic 2021 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa, has been nominated for an International Emmy.
SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions partnered in commissioning South African production company T+W and Wales-based Whisper Cymru to produce ‘Two Sides’, which has been shortlisted for ‘Best Sports Documentary’ in competition with three other international nominations.
“An Emmy nomination is not something that comes around very often, much like the possibility of filming a once-in-a-lifetime tour,” says Gareth Whittaker, T&W CEO. “We pride ourselves on telling great stories, and the Springboks’ rivalry with the British and Irish Lions will always provide a brilliant first draft. Add the layer of Covid-19, empty stadiums, and a tour in jeopardy on top of that, and our work was cut out to ensure that no page was left unturned. Two Sides ranks as one of our greatest achievements, and the Emmy nomination is something we’ll not only treasure, but hope to convert into a win!”
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The documentary explored what transpired in the Springbok and Lions camps during the 2021 Tour of South Africa, doubly challenged at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It told the story from the Springbok and Lions camp perspectives featuring fly-on-the-wall footage of both camps as they took part in a series played behind closed doors and massively complicated by outbreaks of Covid in both camps.
The series was broadcast by M-Net and SuperSport in South Africa, followed by ITV, UK and Virgin One, Ireland in the first half of 2022. The series attracted much social media interest and media attention.
Also shortlisted are ‘30 Dias Para Ganar‘ (Mexico), the story of paralympic downhill skiers; ‘Alexia. Labor Omnia Vincit‘ (Spain) the Barcelona and Spanish footballer; and ‘Harley & Katya‘ (Australia) about the figure skating pair.
The winners will be announced at the 51st International Emmy Awards Gala in New York City, on Monday, 20 November 2023.
