From Living with the Lions to Two Sides, here is how to watch the best British & Irish lions documentaries
Now that the long-awaited Lions tour to Australia is finally underway, you may be finding the days between matches starting to drag. There is a brilliant way to fill the hole, however, courtesy of the numerous British & Irish Lions documentaries ready and waiting to tide you over in style.
Below we run down some of the best out there including, of course, the now-legendary Living with Lions. You’ll also find details of how and where to watch them.
The best British & Irish Lions documentaries
The Invincibles (1974)
On a sporting level the Lions’ 1974 tour to South Africa is legendary, seeing as the Willie John McBride-led team emerged unbeaten, winning 21 of their 22 matches. But, as this documentary explains, it also took place against the backdrop of apartheid, with several top players making a powerful political statement by refusing to play.
- Where to watch: Available to stream on Prime Video and to buy on DVD via Amazon.
Living with Lions (1997)
The victorious 1997 tour of South Africa has since gone down as one of the greats, and much of that legendary status was built by this groundbreaking fly-on-the-wall British & Irish Lions documentary. From coach Jim Telfer’s motivational “Everest” speech to Jeremy Guscott’s series-winning drop goal, this impressively candid film inspired a generation of future rugby stars.
- Where to watch: Available to stream on Sky Sports/Now.
Subscribe to Sky Sports
Subscriptions to Sky Sports start at £20 per month, giving you access to British & Irish Lions matches, F1, Premier League and more. If you don’t fancy signing up for a 24-month contract, Now Sports memberships start at £14.99 per day or £26 per month.
Up Close & Personal (2001)
If the triumphant 1997 tour gave the concept of the Lions a crucial shot in the arm as the game entered the professional era, the 2001 tour was rather less successful as a PR exercise. Up Close and Personal subsequently tackles its fair share of controversy, most notably the now-infamous newspaper column in which Matt Dawson criticised head coach Graham Henry’s regime.
- Where to watch: Available to stream on Sky Sports/Now. Also available on DVD via Amazon.
Brian O’Driscoll’s injury is a major talking point in the Inside the Lions Den British & Irish Lions documentary. (Ross Land/Getty Images)
Inside the Lions Den (2005)
Sir Clive Woodward famously took former government spin doctor Alastair Campbell to New Zealand in 2005, and the PR guru would probably be proud of the way this documentary skirts some of the more controversial elements of the trip – including Gavin Henson’s reaction to his omission from the first Test. Still, there is time to reflect on the infamous spear tackle that ruled Brian O’Driscoll out of the series against the All Blacks.
- Where to watch: Available to stream on Sky Sports/Now. Also available on DVD via Amazon.
Living with the Pride (2009)
It’s the end of an era as Lions legend Sir Ian McGeechan leads the last of four tours at the helm. Unsurprisingly, his final speech ahead of the dead-rubber final Test against the Springboks is an emotional affair, especially as his squad were picking up the pieces following the brutal second Test in Pretoria.
- Where to watch: Available to stream on Sky Sports/Now. Also available on DVD via Amazon.
The Lions’ victorious 2013 tour to Australia gives Raw plenty to celebrate (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Raw (2013)
The fact that the 2013 trip to Australia is – for now, at least – the Lions’ only series victory this century, makes Raw a more pleasant trip down memory lane than some of the British & Irish Lions documentaries on this list. There are some massive moments, however, including the moment Warren Gatland reveals he’s dropped Brian O’Driscoll for the crucial final Test.
- Where to watch: Available to stream on Sky Sports/Now. Also available on DVD and Blu-ray via Amazon.
Uncovered (2017)
As a contest, the drawn series with the All Blacks may be up there with the Lions’ greatest. The accompanying film? Not so much. Very much the PR-approved, sanitised version of an elite rugby team on tour, it’s best viewed as a barometer of how the media landscape had changed in the two decades since Living with Lions.
- Where to watch: Available to stream on Sky Sports/Now. Also available to rent/buy on Apple and Prime Video, and on DVD and Blu-ray via Amazon.
Two Sides (2021)
This three-part, Emmy-nominated documentary offers a new perspective on the Covid-hit 2021 trip to South Africa. Two Sides’ twist is the opportunity to see things from the perspective of the opposition, with plenty of behind-the-scenes intrigue as the Springboks contemplate abandoning a tour taking place behind closed doors in extremely difficult circumstances.
- Where to watch: Currently unavailable, though it was available on Sky Sports/Now in June, so we’re hopeful it will return.
Watch classic Lions Test matches
You can relive every match of the 2017 Test series against the All Blacks on RugbyPass TV (MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images)
Want to relive some of the British & Lions most memorable moments? World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV is currently hosting replays of several classic Lions encounters, including the second 1997 Test in South Africa (the one with that Guscott drop goal), the famously bruising second Test against the Springboks in 2009, and all three matches of the epic drawn series against the All Blacks in 2017.
- How to watch: RugbyPass TV is free to view – you just need to complete a quick sign-up process.
Watch Lions documentaries away from home
If you’re on holiday overseas and want to indulge in a bit of British & Irish Lions nostalgia while you’re away, there is a way to avoid any geo-restrictions you might usually encounter while watching your usual streamer.
A VPN (or Virtual Private Network) allows you to change your IP address, meaning you can make your smartphone, tablet or laptop appear to be in any country in the world – in other words, you can tune in as if you were back at home in front of your TV. A good VPN also has the added benefit of improving your internet security when you’re online.
The tech experts at TechRadar test hundreds of VPNs for a living, and right now NordVPN is their favourite.
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