Last year the School of Hard Knocks went to North Wales where a hardened group of troublesome youths were taught the values and skills needed to be part of a rugby team. This year, the fascinating show is based in London and runs as a full length series.
Former British & Irish Lions legends Will Greenwood and Scott Quinnell are back to play their part as mentors to the group of unemployed young men who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, most of whom had never played rugby.
Over a period of eight weeks, Quinnell and Greenwood face the challenge of channelling the energy and aggression of the guys into the sport, helping them grow as both a team and as individuals who can get off the street and make a proper life for themselves.
This year the show is far edgier and offers more insight into the process, with plenty of incidents and many life-changing moments for the young guys, both on and off the field.
Posted here today is the first episode of the series, broken up into three parts. The first episode introduces us to the group as they themselves get introduced to rugby. A phone gets stolen along the way, they learn a few new dance moves, and they get an inspirational talk from boxer Mark Prince.
Its just over twenty minutes in total, and well worth getting into as later on a few stars are born, a player takes on Greenwood, and the team nail their job interviews.
More episodes will be posted over the next few weeks if the response is positive, so let us know what you think of the series, and the concept on a whole. Part 1 is at the top.
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