Guinness celebrates Japan's female rugby heroes in World Cup film

With the Rugby World Cup set to dominate the sporting world next month, Guinness has unveiled its latest cinematic commercial, "Liberty Fields", detailing the trials and tribulations of Japan’s first international female rugby squad.

With no coach, no doctor and virtually no support, the team defied the social conventions of 1989 Japan to represent their country at the Women’s World Cup.

The 60-second TV ad (above) was released alongside a five-minute documentary featuring first-hand insights from the Liberty Fields rugby team (see below). The work was created by London agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.

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Speaking of her experiences on the pitch, Ms Dazai of the Liberty Fields team said: "It was back in the day, when getting harassed, sexually and otherwise, was a given. "Men expected women to be young, pretty and willing to quit their jobs for marriage. At the time, the women’s team weren’t recognised as official. So, we founded our own organisation."

She continued: "We lose if women can’t play rugby. The reason why we’ve kept on going is because we don’t want to lose. I wanted society to accept that women can love this kind of sport too, not just men."

The spot was launched as part of the brand’s long-running "Made of more" campaign, which has been promoting inclusivity within rugby since 2014. 

As well as the title sponsor and the official beer of the Guinness Six Nations, the brand was also named the first commercial partner of the Women’s Six Nations at the end of last year. 

English International rugby player Danielle ‘Nolli’ Waterman praised the commercial but commented that much of the story "still rings true with me today". 

"It is incredible to have this story shared because talking about, and celebrating, women as pioneers can really make a difference," Waterman said. "How we approach and embed inclusivity and diversity is key to future success."