VIDEO: Whistleblowers - a peek into the life of a World Cup ref
World Rugby has released the official trailer for Whistleblowers, a ground-breaking film documenting the lives and experiences of the World Rugby match officials at the World Cup 2023 in France.
The film will premiere on RugbyPass TV on 1 February.
With exclusive access to the “toughest job in sport”, Whistleblowers gives viewers an unprecedented insight into the pressures and emotions of the world’s top match officials as they preside over matches on the game’s biggest stage.
From experienced campaigners to World Cup debutants, the film shines a light on the personalities behind the whistle.
Enlightening, emotional and occasionally hard-hitting, the documentary follows the match officials and their families as they prepare for the biggest event in the men’s test match arena, following their seven-week World Cup journey striving for accurate and consistent decision making in a complex sport.
Whistleblowers is an unmissable watch with in-depth interviews, access to team meetings, and pre- and post-match emotion. Tackling the big stories on and off the field, the roller-coaster story covers the highs and lows of selection, physical and mental preparation, performance analysis as well as the special supportive relationship across the group, relationships with teams and the impact of online hate on officials and their families and what World Rugby is doing to combat it.
“We want to lift the lid for fans on what we are living every day, a hugely rewarding job with the best seats in the house for some of the biggest encounters in sport,” South Africa’s now retired World Cup referee Jaco Peyper said.
“Some call it the toughest job in sport, and there are huge highs and lows, but the experiences, the friendship and the places are a privilege also.
“Hopefully viewers will understand that we are normal human beings with families, trying to be the best we can be, and give them a better understanding of the environment we operate in and our dedication to the sport we love.”
