Amazon to air gay rugby doc Steelers

Amazon Prime Video is to premiere a new documentary – Steelers – following the world’s first gay and inclusive rugby club, the Kings Cross Steelers. The film will air on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland from 16 April 2021.

Steelers is described as “an emotional and heart-warming story”, centring on how players have overcome personal struggles to compete against 60 other gay clubs in the Bingham Cup in Amsterdam – the World Cup of gay rugby.

Three characters, each confronting personal issues in their lives, play a central role in the film’s narrative.

This includes the gay female coach and former international player for Wales, Nic Evans, fighting misogyny in a male-dominated sport; Birmingham rugby fanatic Simon Jones, battling his own demons after recently coming out; and aspiring drag queen Andrew McDowell, who teaches viewers to live as the people they truly are.

Steelers shows how this inclusive rugby community has helped people overcome their struggles in ways they never would have imagined.

The film’s director (Australian journalist and former Steelers player) Eammon Ashton-Atkinson, said: “This story isn’t just for rugby fans, or even gay people. It’s a story for anyone who has felt like they don’t belong or isn’t living the life they want to be living. I hope this film inspires people to try something they may have been afraid of giving a go before. The fact that Prime Video will beam this documentary into homes across the UK is incredible. If this helps one person who may be suffering with their mental health, or helps someone from the LGBTQ+ community feel like they belong, then making this film will have all been worth it.”

Martin Backlund, head of content, UK Prime Video, added: “Steelers is a frank, honest and uplifting documentary that shows how a shared community can provide hope and a sense of belonging. I know Prime members in the UK and Ireland will be inspired by the personal stories within and the important issues it tackles.”