Oceans Apart: Greed, Betrayal and Pacific Island Rugby (2020) Poster

(2020)

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9/10
Powerful and hard hitting
colinliddell-7392218 November 2020
Like many of the players from the region this documentary is hard hitting and will hopefully have a big impact.

It clearly shows the inequality and obvious imbalance in power that exists in the rugby hierarchy which is not open to change.

Shows that rugby is ran at the top by people who do not encompass the values that rugby prides itself on
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9/10
Important and hopefully game-changing
david_pollitt21 November 2020
The Pacific Island nations provide world rugby and many of world rugby's elite teams with players of magic. This documentary brings, at last, the inequalities and exploitation behind the Flying Fijians, Manu Samoa and Tonga to the wider public consciousness. Passionately told by those at the coalface, at personal risk in many cases, campaigner and ambassador Dan Leo exposes hypocrisy and corruption at the heart of the international game. This film lays bare the myth that rugby's values set it apart as the true "beautiful game".
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9/10
Eye opener on the real world behind rugby's values
jagkelvis21 November 2020
Direct, to the point and an honestly felt review that helps rugby fans around the world to understand the journeys of players from a remote part of the world into spotlight of the global game. It's not all champagne and starlight - the truth is touching, warming and honourable. Well worth a watch. Well done Dan Leo - Keep doing what you do....
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10/10
Watch it even if you don't like rugby
hfcowie16 November 2020
This doc exposes the inequalities and injustices built into international rugby (as well as corruption in Pacific Island rugby at a national level). You don't need to care about rugby to be interested in this story.
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10/10
Hard hitting and shocking facts
geekoro-7771117 November 2020
It's a shame this documentary has to exist, but it does a great job of exposing the corruption in world rugby and highlighting the struggles faced by Pacific Islanders. A very well-made documentary, let's hope it makes a difference to how Tier 2 teams are treated
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10/10
An eye opening must watch
abbeyruthmiles20 November 2020
What an amazing, eye opening watch into Pacific rugby. The documentary is a truthful story, that gives so many valuable and deserving people a voice that they haven't had in the same way before. Dan Leo gives light to such an important topic and Callum Drummond's cinematography brings the story to life in an amazing way.
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10/10
Thought provoking. £80 match fee for an international player is appaling.
simon_pett21 November 2020
Watched this documentary and the spriit of the Pacific Islanders shines through. The tier 1 nations should be ashamed and right this wrong now.
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10/10
A must see for anyone who likes equality and rugby.
jasonulstet21 November 2020
Simply brilliant. A deep thought provoking informative piece that's exposes the self serving nature of tier one nations. It also shows the incompetence of World Rugby and their willingness to restrict the growth of the game for short term financial gain and not long term sustainability.
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10/10
Superb documentary
gashf-8670130 November 2020
Tier One administrators need to watch this doc and hang their head in shame at the appalling treatment of Tier 2 nations. Added to that the internal greed of the Pacific Islanders own administrators who appear to be prime ministers etc and you see the appalling treatment of players who are used and abused and ultimately thrown away once they retire. Sadly these players if they have any sense aspire to play for tier 1 nations rather than their own countries due to the money and being able to provide for their families.

Dan Leo does a great job in this doc highlighting the disparity that exists and I hope it will help their cause.
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7/10
I don't get it
stipvukic19 January 2022
This what happening in Rugby in Oceania, happening in footbal in Africa, baseball in Cuba, etc. Economy and big leagues brings money. Hope sport in general will change, but I doubt. Btw, beautiful country.
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10/10
Eye-opening and important
bencisneros27 November 2020
A brilliantly-made documentary on a minimal budget. Inspiring and alarming; shocking and heart-warming. A must-watch for anyone with a passing interest in global sport.

Some very important issues highlighted which must be addressed by those with power.
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7/10
A no thrills documentary that packs a punch
adammcgheeuk23 November 2020
If you like and follow rugby, it wouldn't be any surprise to know that the majority of the worlds top players originate from the pacific island nations of Tonga, Fiji and Manu Samoa. This documentary through the accounts of past and present island players, shares a glimpse of the harsh social-economic realities they face to represent their countries.

Pros: -Brilliant narrative -Links with current affairs -Direct interviews with heads of state and game.

Cons: -Pursuit of being subjective at the cost of narrator and Samoan legend Dan Leo. -Production could had been a bit tidier ie filming and interview scenes.
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10/10
A must watch for all rugby fans.
karlcarpenter21 November 2020
Love my rugby, but I never knew that this is how we treat the great island nations.
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10/10
Great viewing
euan_mack4 December 2020
Amazing work done by Dan Leo & team to bring this film out. I found it a real eye opener to the treatment of Pacific Island rugby players and hopefully this will help change things for the better. World Rugby Council should be one country one vote! 🇫🇯🇹🇴🇼🇸
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10/10
IMPACT
fgbgxaqj21 November 2020
This documentary is a real eye opener to all sports fans, but especially rugby fans. The core values of the game are not being carried out by those who are not only paid but tasked with guiding the game to the highest levels. Definitely recommend and please share with all of your friends/family who have an interest in sport/rugby.
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10/10
fantastic insight into an issue the people who run rugby want to hide
liam-5255921 November 2020
This was a well-spent hour. Dan Leo has done an immense job in raising the awareness about rugby in the Pacific Islands, how they only have very limited resources and are terribly treated as the poor relation by the gin-swilling blazers at World Rugby. They are a governing body that doesn't really want the game to grow globally. If they did, Leo wouldn't have to make a documentary such as this, exposing what is really going on in the game.
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10/10
A must watch
ro_turner21 November 2020
For anyone with skin in the professional game. Dan Leo has shone a spotlight on the inequalities and the commoditisation of Pacific Island players.
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10/10
Eye opener
higgy36521 November 2020
I had an abstract notion that the Pacific Islands got a raw deal from World Rugby and the Tier 1 nations but this film really opened my eyes to how bad things are and how great the need for reform to ensure a fair deal is.

Recommend this for any rugby fan.
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10/10
Inequality exposed
richard-182621 November 2020
Brutally exposing the inequality in the rugby between the tier one "old guard" and the developing nations who provide so much of the playing base in the professional game, and the resistance to the changes necessary to support those players and nations.
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10/10
AWESOME
bruce-9137421 November 2020
Fantastic. Dan Leo is Fantastic. The story is sad, but has to be told.
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10/10
Opens your eyes
minshawsarah21 November 2020
Really hope this will open the eyes of everyone involved in world rugby. Amazed these countries don't get anywhere close to a fair price of tickets sales when they are what bring people in, it watch the best of the best play rugby. Keep up the good work and hopefully you'll have the world of rugby behind you to give everyone a fair share.
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10/10
A must watch and a powerful call to action
richclifford21 November 2020
Well done to Dan Leo for bringing this story to the attention of the wider world. Incredibly sad to see the way the Pacific Islands are currently treated and the leaders of World Rugby and the Tier 1 RFU's sacrificing rugby's core values for naked greed and self interest. Hopefully this film will act as a catalyst for real change.
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10/10
Eye opening insight
jacobbarr-4101521 November 2020
A very good insight on how World Rugby and "Tier 1" Nations are blocking Tier 2 and 3 development. Hopefully this documentary will put pressure on World Rugby for change to happen.
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10/10
A must-watch
gareth-jason-phillips26 November 2020
If you're interested in rugby, then this is a must-watch. Dan's eloquent, humble and insightful. The arguments are strong, but I suppose the real question is how can you help? Share the movie, tell people, buy the PRPW merchandise, all of the above?
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10/10
A Rigged Game - The exploitation of Pacific Island Rugby
jprbwfc21 November 2020
This film exposes the greed, corruption and cronyism at the heart of World Rugby's ruling body and the injustice of its treatment of the Pacific Island Players. The elite nations, who turn a blind eye out of self interest, are complicit in this betrayal of their fellow players. This needs to change.
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