Filmed over two years, No Tears on the Field follows two local teams and several individual players - including Sevens Superstar Michaela Brake, as they navigate ambition, community and personal challenges.

No Tears on the Field, directed by award-winning Taranaki filmmaker Lisa Burd, is a feature documentary celebrating the heart of grassroots women’s rugby. Filmed over a full season in Taranaki, the film follows four young women as they balance the intensity of club rugby with the challenges of life beyond the field.

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Through humour, determination, and deep community connections, their journeys highlight the resilience, camaraderie, and family spirit that define grassroots rugby. Interwoven with the rise of rugby superstar Michaela Brake (née Blyde), the film connects Taranaki’s local club fields to the global stage, showing young players what is possible.

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Growing up in rural New Zealand had its challenges, characters, and unique (both healthy and unhealthy) rhythms of life. I can’t remember ever seeing that so perfectly captured on the silver screen than through No Tears on the Field. You will see someone you kind of recognize - an uncle, neighbor, aunty, or perhaps even yourself. 

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All this on the wondrous canvas of women’s rugby. Through No Tears on the Field we discover their lives - struggles, triumphs, ambitions, and what really makes them tick. You can’t help but be drawn deeply into their lives and be barracking for your favorite team come finals time in the action packed final act.

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A wondrous celebration and snapshot of the Kiwi way of life, No Tears on the Field gives voice to and celebrates women from all walks of life in a men’s dominated sport. A must see film for every New Zealander.

★★★★★