By now, you might think you’ve seen every true crime documentary out there and we’re here to tell you that, yes - you’re probably right. So to help you mix things up a bit, we’ve curated a short list of inspiring and thought-provoking sports-based documentaries - and School of Hard Knocks would know all about that having started as one! So, have a gander and stick something other than The Confession Tapes on the tele...

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Oceans Apart 
Presented by former Samoa rugby player Dan Leo, who sacrificed his own career to confront corruption in his national union, Oceans Apart looks at the bond between the Pacific and modern rugby.
Watch it on Amazon Prime or on the Pacific Rugby Welfare website.

All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks
In 2017 The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, known as the winningest team in global sports history, allowed cameras into their world for the first time ever to witness one of their most difficult seasons yet. Over four months, they face the demands of the most physically gruelling team sport on the planet to uphold a legacy of excellence and dominance that goes back well over a century.

Each season of All or Nothing covers a different professional sports franchise in various sports leagues, so be sure to check out the other seasons once you’re done with this one!
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Rising Phoenix
Rising Phoenix is an affecting documentary that follows the stories of nine Paralympic athletes and their journeys in competition. Top athletes and insiders discuss the Paralympic Games and how it impacts a global understanding of disability, diversity and excellence.
Watch it on Netflix

Everybody’s Game
Coming from the most unlikely of rugby playing backgrounds these athletes share their experience rising through the ranks in rugby and how this sport that many of their peers have never heard of, has now become their livelihood.
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Cheer
Cheer is a gripping docuseries that follows the ups and downs of Navarro College's competitive cheer squad as they work to win a coveted national title. With an inspirational troupe of teens and willingness to engage in the tougher trials facing the sport today, Cheer perfectly captures the highs and lows of what it takes to be a cheerleader.
Watch it on Netflix

Free Solo
Free Solo is a stunning, intimate and unflinching portrait of the free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock ... the 3,000ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park ... without a rope. Celebrated as one of the greatest athletic feats of any kind, Honnold’s climb set the ultimate standard: perfection or death. Succeeding in this challenge, Honnold enters his story in the annals of human achievement. Free Solo is both an edge-of-your seat thriller and an inspiring portrait of an athlete who exceeded our current understanding of human physical and mental potential. The result is a triumph of the human spirit.
Rent it on Amazon Prime or Disney Plus

Last Chance U
Elite athletes with difficult pasts turn to junior college football for a last shot at turning their lives around. Last Chance U takes us on a journey to understand the real men of the gridiron at one of the most successful, but least known athletic programs. Each player has incredible talent and drive to be the best, but each face their own unique struggles both on and off the field. 
Watch it on Netflix