Featuring the voice of netball in Australia, Sue Gaudion, Rising to the Occasion is a story of dedication, commitment, athleticism, discrimination and adversity, offering an intriguing view into the world of men's netball.
The personal stories within the documentary are moving and inspiring, revealing the hidden truths behind men’s netball, through exploring the unique challenges, misconceptions and bullying boys and men continue to face whilst aspiring to greatness in what is still a female dominated sport.
Some of these stories are being told publicly for the very first time. The importance of each of their journeys lies in the history that came before them and the legacy they will leave for future generations.
In the forever evolving and progressive world of sport means there are significantly more pathways and opportunities for women to play a sport and aspire to become elite. There is more focus on equality and diversity at all levels of sport than any other time in history. This begs the question, why do we not see the same pathways, endorsements, funding and support afforded to elite male netball players in return? And, why are boys still being told that they cannot play netball at a local club level because they are boys? It's a sobering thought.
Rising to the Occasion aims the floodlight on this topic as we explore uncharted territory to understand the impact of this outdated approach to sport which continues to discriminate against males.