British Lions tour documentary hits the small screen: 'It will be jaw-dropping stuff'

An anecdotal documentary series, Two Sides, is coming to television screens this Sunday. Executive producer Gareth Whittaker talks to Kamva Somdyala about the complexities of bringing the story to life in light of ferocious Covid-19 wave, off-field drama and July unrests.

The celebrations at the Cape Town stadium as Siya Kolisi hoisted the Lions series silverware last year belied weeks of toiling to pull off a successful tour.

It was a tour that hung in the balance - on several fronts - until the Springboks beat the British & Irish Lions 19-16 to seal the tour 2-1 in their favour, meaning the Boks are now the owners of the World Cup and the Lions Series cup.

While the circumstances around the tour were business unusual, producers of Chasing the Sun were on hand to capture the moments in between the battlefield, and it’s coming to the small screen in a three-part documentary, Two Sides, starting this Sunday.

In the official promotional clip on SuperSport, respected commentator Matthew Pearce can be heard saying "well you can almost call it the tour against all odds."

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Executive producer Gareth Whittaker told Sport24 they subjected themselves to a string of checks and balances to ensure a quality product that did not compromise Covid-19 measures which were strictly enforced within team environments.

He stressed that a Covid-19 third wave and the July unrests in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng play a key role in the series. The rugby, Whittaker noted, is still king, however, it was incumbent on them to reflect that