No Tears is a tough wee local gem. Go and have a look
Thursday, 19 March 2026
No Tears on the Field (E, 93 mins) Directed by Lisa Burd ****
If you’re ever lucky enough to be working with a film crew on a clear day in the mighty Taranaki, when the maunga is showing his face, then you can be sure at least a couple of the locals will say to you, “That’s a good sign. Your film’s going to turn out great”.
It worked for Tom Cruise and Ed Zwick on The Last Samurai. And for Rachel House and her crew on The Mountain. And now I think the maunga has smiled down on documentary-maker Lisa Burd and the team behind her doco No Tears on the Field. The film has definitely turned out great, and I reckon you should get along and see it.
No Tears on the Field follows a season in the Taranaki women's rugby calendar. But it focuses especially on two teams, and five young women.
The Southern and Clifton rugby clubs have been the powerhouses of women's rugby in Taranaki for years. The two teams have contested most of the regional finals against each other, and this year is shaping up to be no different. When Burd and her crew start filming, the season is just about to get underway, and the rivalry is already heating up.
Although, as with any good sports doco, No Tears on the Field isn't really about the results and the action on the field. Even though there’s plenty of it, and the camera work is often pretty spectacular.
The big name here is rugby sevens superstar and double Olympic gold-medallist Michaela Brake, who laced up her first pair of boots on these Taranaki paddocks. Brake is the daughter of Cherry Blyde, who was an early trailblazer of women’s rugby, and the first woman to become president of Taranaki Rugby.
Blyde and her team-mates overcame a lot of doubters and flat-out misogyny when they first turned up to play. And although attitudes towards the women’s game are a little more evolved now, you would be a mug to think that women who play either rugby code in New Zealand don't still occasionally run into a bunch of armchair commentators who wish they wouldn't.
But the real heart of No Tears on the Field is in the smaller stories, and the players you might never hear of, who turn up to play the game every week. Burd and her crew spend a lot of their time around kitchen tables, and in fields and milking sheds, talking to these young women, and the women and men who raised them, about what makes them tick, why playing rugby unlocks some happiness and purpose in them, and what the future might look like - whether it involves an oval ball or not.
What comes out of these conversations is sometimes harrowing and gritty, but also hilarious, insightful and - occasionally - very moving. Burd clearly has a gift for earning trust, and the stories she coaxes out of her cast often go far beyond any of your usual sports doco cliches.
If I had a criticism, it would be that I didn’t need the musical score to turn up in every scene, and that I would love to see a cut of this film that relied more on the naturally occurring sounds of the environment for its soundtrack. But that’s not a major complaint, and not everyone will share it.
No Tears on the Field is a tough and well-put-together wee film. There’s palpable love and respect for the players, the communities and the game here, and I reckon, whether you think you give a damn about rugby or sports at all, you will still find plenty to respect and enjoy. Go and see it in a cinema while you have the chance. Kia kaha.
No Tears on the Field is in cinemas now.