Rugby podcasters Brett McKay and Harry Jones are joined on The 8-9 Combo by Director and Producer of brilliant Springboks documentary series, Chasing the Sun, Gareth Whittaker, the man behind the twin series which documented the ‘Boks rise in world rugby and culminating in the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup triumphs.
In this episode less about rugby and more about the art of storytelling, Gareth runs the guys through just how much footage was shot and not used, how many fully developed stories didn’t make the final cut, the contingency storylines in place if the Boks lost the Final or didn’t make it that far, and how his storytelling was shaped by the great sports documentaries of the time and the people who made them.
If you watched Chasing the Sun and wondered how it all came together, so many of your questions will be answered.
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Meet the man behind Chasing the Sun – the story of the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup!
8 Comments
This is amazing
Story telling at its best
These productions were legendary.
A fascinating conversation with Gareth Whittaker!
Chasing the Sun locked me in, Chasing the Sun2 solidified it and I became a rookie Rugby fan. Thank you for this piece of beauty, the story-telling was second to none because you told a real story, our story. I have been fascinated with rugby ever since and yes, the fascination is forever now. The best sports documentary and I've watched others but this explored the core, and got to the 'root of the root'…Well done, the interview I've been waiting for. 🙂
For more of Brett and Harry:
Social media: #89Combo
Twitter: / 89combo
YouTube: / @8-9combo
Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/show/1BcKhb2...
Brett: / bmcsport
Harry: / haribaldijones
Find Brett and Harry's written work on RugbyPass and The Roar:
Brett: https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/contri...
Harry: https://www.theroar.com.au/author/har...
Chasing the sun was fire 🔥
Thanks guys, it was interesting to hear it straight from the directors mouth. It kind of completes the story.