Stamp Productions, a leading independent sport content production company, has been commissioned to produce the historic behind-the-scenes feature length documentary, of the 2017 British & Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand this summer. The Stamp production team will travel with the 41 man playing squad, immersing themselves in the team culture and gaining intimate, behind-the-scenes footage of the British & Irish Lions as they tour New Zealand, across seven cities and 10 fixtures. With unprecedented access to the players and management team, the documentary will explore the inner dynamics, emotional roller-coaster and camaraderie among the world famous touring squad as they undertake one of the biggest challenges in rugby – a 10-match tour culminating in a three match test series against the 2011 and 2015 World Cup winning New Zealand.
The 2017 tour to New Zealand represents the third time Stamp has been commissioned to produce the post-tour documentary for the British & Irish Lions, including ‘Lions Raw’ which recorded the triumphant events of the victorious 2013 tour to Australia. The upcoming documentary is slated to air on Sky Sports in late autumn, with a DVD including bonus, previously un-seen footage, scheduled for later release. Established in 1888, the British & Irish Lions are a rugby union squad consisting of the best-of-the-best players selected from across the four home nations – England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The squad tours the Southern Hemisphere once every four years, rotating between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, with each tour leaving its own legacy and offering players the chance to secure a place in rugby history.
Ben Uttley
In its wider role, Stamp will also produce all the digital content for the team’s social media channels, to connect the fans with the squad throughout the duration of the tour. Stamp will use its storytelling and sports production expertise, to keep loyal fans and rugby fanatics up to date with latest news and developments surrounding the camp, with daily high-quality digital content filmed in high definition and edited on location. The content will be published on a daily basis across the British & Irish Lions’ digital and social media channels, including YouTube, and within the ground-breaking official British & Irish Lions App.
Ben Uttley, Managing Director of Stamp Productions, said: “Rugby has been in this company’s DNA since the very start, and we’re honoured to be entrusted to tell the story of this world famous squad as the tour unfolds. Each British & Irish Lions tour presents its own challenges, opportunities and heartache for players, and our job is to record the story as the players and management team shape it. When you’re filming all access documentaries it’s important to know where the line is, and balancing getting that perfect shot and interfering with the action. We’re excited to once again gain intimate access to the squad and use our storytelling expertise to help document the next chapter in the Lions’ captivating history.” Charlie McEwen, Chief Operating Officer for The British & Irish Lions, added: “Capturing the drama and emotion of life as a Lion requires incredible trust and understanding of what the entire squad is going through on tour. Stamp have earned, and continue to earn this trust by intelligent and captivating storytelling that walks the 'all access’ line but never crosses it.”
