Celebrating the 25th anniversary the world’s first gay rugby team, the King’s Cross Steelers, a new documentary on the struggles of the club will be released.
Told through the eyes of an Australian news reporter, Eammon Ashton-Atkinson, who moved to the UK to escape depression, the documentary, follows 3 characters on their journey to overcome their struggles as the club competes against 60 other gay clubs in the Bingham Cup in Amsterdam – the World Cup of gay rugby.
Nic Evans, the Steelers’ gay female coach and former international player for Wales, is fighting to overcome misogyny in a male-dominated sport. Birmingham rugby fanatic Simon Jones reveals his battle with depression after he recently came out and it didn’t go to plan. The drag queen Andrew McDowell explores identity and self-expression through his story.
As well as filming, writing, editing and directing his debut feature documentary, Ashton-Atkinson narrates the film. Through his eyes, we see insight into his own battles with being gay, including how he was outed at school when a classmate secretly filmed them having sex and then showed the video at school.
Director, Eammon Ashton-Atkinson: “I hated sport growing up as a kid. But my Dad encouraged me to play rugby and without that, I never would have joined the Steelers, met my husband and found a place where I felt like I belonged.”
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The documentary will be a part of the BFI Flare Festival and will be screened in London 25th March.
