Documentary rec: Oceans Apart on Amazon Prime
I believe RVJ and I are the only big rugby fans here, but I watched a documentary last night about the sport and its impact on the Pacific Islands of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa and thought the issues it raises could eventually start to become relevant to college/pro football.
The basic tension is the islands produce pro athletes at an incredible rate--the highest per capita in the world, the doc contends--but the poverty, corruption and mismanagement of the governing boards (which are sometimes headed by prime ministers) creates a cycle where players go abroad and play for adoptive nations rather than their homes so they can be paid decent wages (large portions of England's starting lineup have Pacific Island heritage; Ireland routed Samoa in the last World Cup with a Samoan wearing green). So the sport is actually atrophying at the same time it's a lifeline.
Made me wonder about some of the dynamics between Hawaii high schools and colleges on the mainland. (The Irish team I root for actually recruited a Hawaiian nose tackle out of high school a few years ago, and he was so prized as to be poached by a rival last summer).
The doc was made by a former Samoan international, and while his interviews aren't great the visuals of conditions for PI athletes are really striking (One of the best players in the world was originally discovered working in a Fijian diamond mine). Only about an hour long if you are bored of everything else in your queue.