Why rugby after baseball?
Jang Si-won (44), the PD of Netflix's sports entertainment 'Ultimate Rugby: Win or Die' (hereafter 'Ultimate Rugby'), said, "I had never watched a rugby match before making this." The idea came to him while he was on a trip to Japan, looking at the snowy fields in Sapporo.
"I was reminded of battles in the Middle Ages where blood was shed on the snowy fields. The color of blood being sprinkled on the snow. I thought, what could evoke that feeling in modern times? And it turned out to be rugby."
From that moment, he began his research and attended Super League matches. Director Jang said he cannot forget the shock he felt at that time.
"Each match felt like the last. About five players were carried off the field... I wondered, 'Why are they doing this?' 'What is going on?' 'Do they make a lot of money?' But there were no prize money. I was left questioning, 'Why are they doing this?' and it felt very pure."
The first four episodes of 'Ultimate Rugby: Win or Die', which premiered on the 10th, introduced the three elements of rugby: scrum, try, and kick, and featured thrilling and unpredictable matches, including the quarterfinal match between Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea University.
The episodes 5 to 7, released on the 17th, showcased the quarterfinal match between Hyundai Glovis, who achieved a two-time championship in the Korea Super League, and the powerhouse Posco E&C. The clash between the strength of Posco E&C and the speed of Hyundai Glovis was a tightly contested battle that was impossible to predict.
When I met Director Jang in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on the 19th, and asked about the reactions after the release, he said, "My rational friends say they find it fun," and added, "Especially at night, I get a lot of messages. Lee Soo-geun contacted me at 1 AM saying it was fun," he boasted subtly.
When asked why he became fascinated with 'rugby', Director Jang replied, "They play as if today is really the last day. I was captivated by the sound of bones clashing, and it felt fresh because it's a physical game."
However, when he decided to turn rugby, an unpopular sport, into a sports entertainment show, was there any hesitation or concern? Director Jang said, "I heard the same comments when I was doing 'Ultimate Baseball'."
"When I was doing 'Fishing in the City', people asked if fishing would work? And during 'Steel Troops', they questioned if the military would work? I think I heard the same comments no matter what I did. If you listen to too many doubts, fear grows. Then you can't do it."
'Ultimate Rugby' features seven representative rugby teams from Korea, including Korea Electric Power Corporation, Hyundai Glovis, Posco E&C, OK Eutman Rugby Team, the Military Sports Unit, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Sports caster Jung Yong-gum and the only international rugby referee in Korea, Seo In-soo, will provide commentary, and YB's Yoon Do-hyun will participate as the music director.
Having created shows like 'Fishing in the City', 'Steel Troops', and 'Ultimate Baseball', he dedicated a long time of 1 year and 6 months from planning to production for 'Ultimate Rugby'. To capture the best visuals, 140 cameras were used, including 40 game cameras and 100 stationary cameras. The production team maximized the urgency and reality of the scene by equipping each player with microphones and employing detailed technical approaches.
“When I went to Japan, they were using only five cameras. In sports, you have to capture the moment, so for 'Ultimate Baseball', we used over 100 cameras. We didn't want to miss that moment. To capture the sound of bodies colliding and even the rough breathing, we produced over 200 ultra-small microphones to attach to each player. When you see it live, the sound hits you even more shockingly than the visuals.”
Although there were difficulties in recruiting the seven teams, he said, "They were grateful that we were dealing with rugby." "Students needed permission, so it was challenging to persuade those individuals, and the corporate teams were concerned about injuries," he explained. "We assured them that we would take full responsibility for any injuries, and we indeed did," he shared about the filming process.
"Once those big guys started clashing, it became so intense that we couldn't proceed with the main game. When we entered the main game, if someone got injured and couldn't show rugby or their skills, we felt we had to change the rules a bit. Rugby has a lot of rules. It's very complicated. We wanted to make it so that viewers could understand the minimum necessary rules and enjoy it even if they didn't know the rules. That was the most challenging part. We had planned and scouted for snowy field matches, but as we prepared, we felt there would be too many injuries, so we excluded it. The visuals were really beautiful, but safety comes first.”
'Ultimate Rugby' will also have Jung Yong-gum as the commentator, following 'Ultimate Baseball'. Jung Yong-gum has previously expressed deep trust in Jang Si-won, even referring to himself as "Jang Si-won's persona."
Director Jang explained, "It's not because of our friendship or out of guilt for leaving, but because he genuinely immerses himself in the game. This immersion is conveyed to the viewers, allowing them to get lost in the game as well. His voice still carries the emotion that comes from amateurism."
He constantly discovers and challenges subjects that are overlooked in entertainment, stating that his personality leads him to such challenges. "I often feel bored, so I explore unknown worlds to solve that," he laughed.
"There are entertainment elements, but they are genuinely doing something. It seems very difficult to blend sincerity and humor together. Speaking of 'Ultimate Baseball', I think it's a miracle to have each match go as planned. When a game is held at Jamsil, it sells out in a minute. Those fans buy uniforms and wave them. From a producer's perspective, it's fascinating. Even if they like it, it's not easy to spend my money. I'm a Lotte fan too, but I don't buy merchandise often. It's great that it appeals to people of all ages. When you go to a baseball stadium, the majority are women in their 20s. Even Director Kim Sung-keun mentioned that kids aged 7 or 8 ask him for autographs. That's very touching and refreshing."
Director Jang is confident that "there's a hurdle to watching it just once, but once you get in, you won't be able to escape."
"Given the current situation, more and more exciting and immersive episodes are coming out. While Netflix is a global platform, it wasn't made specifically for overseas audiences from the planning stage. Domestic viewers are the priority. I hope viewers in South Korea enjoy it well."
