As the world gets ready for the Rugby World Cup, Guinness has released the story of a team called Liberty Fields that defied everything – it had no coach, no doctor and the wall of the social mores of the day blocking its path – to become the first team to represent Japan at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The team’s story is told by its players in a 4.45 minute mini-documentary by AMV BBDO, which supports a 60-second commercial for Guinness’ Made of More platform.

It’s a story of grit, but also about the fight for gender equality.

https://youtu.be/-V1XvowvjY8

https://youtu.be/CE_mVvJyWQY

“It was back in the day when getting harassed sexually and otherwise was a given,” explains Liberty Fields Rugby Football club founder, Noriko Kishida, at the beginning of the documentary.

In 1988, the Japanese Rugby Football Union refused to let women play rugby under its banner, saying that the sport was too dangerous for them. The Liberty Fields women formed a union of their own. “I was in love from the get go,” one of the players states in the film.

Having made it into the first every Women’s Rugby World Cup in 1991, the team realised that the rest of the world was way ahead of it in terms of ability. It was knocked out of the Cup in the first round. The team was also almost completely unsupported. Women were meant to be ladylike. “Men expected women to be young, pretty and willing to quit their jobs for marriage,” explains Liberty Fields flanker, Yukiko Dazai, in the film.

“People would say the most horrible things. But I was so proud of how hard I worked. At the office and on the field. So I refused to let their words get to me.”

Women’s rugby has only been given fully committed support this year, but Japan began to break free of its very rigid social conventions somewhat earlier – albeit with baby steps.

Credits:

Creative Agency: AMV BBDO
Creative Directors: Nick Hulley & Nadja Lossgott
Copywriter: Alex Grieve
Art Director: Adrian Rossi
Social Creative: Zak Loney
Planners: David Edwards, Lisa Stoney & Alaina Crystal
Account Management: Michael Pring, Nick Andrew, Tessa Brisbane, Luke Hickey, Sam Ayre & Flynn Leslie
Producers: Nick Godden & Frankie Burwell-Wright
Media Agency: Carat

Production Company: Stink Films
Director: Eliot Rausch
Documentary Director: Mackenzie Sheppard
Local Production Company: Mr Positive Tokyo
Producer: Ben Croker
Editor: Russell Icke
Documentary Editor: Aika Miyake
Post-Production Company: Untold
Audio Post-Production: 750
Sound Engineer: Sam Ashwell