WASPS famous Heineken Cup win from 2004 will feature first in a new strand of documentaries entitled Rugby Stories on BT Sport.
The episode, entitled ‘The Sting’, will air on Friday, March 4 at 10pm on BT Sport 1 and features contributions from Lawrence Dallaglio, Tom Voyce and Rob Howley.
Rugby Stories will devote an episode to each of the 13 clubs in this season’s Gallagher Premiership with the first in the series focusing on Wasps success in the early noughties which saw them win the Premiership, Challenge Cup and Heineken Cup.
The club’s successful 2003/04 European campaign saw them claim a thrilling 37-32 win away at Munster in the semi-final, overcoming a scary atmosphere in the Irish province.
Voyce said: “That short bus journey down to Lansdowne Road there was smashing the bus from Irish fans, spitting, the English are in town – get out of our city!
“And then when you walk out and see that stadium and it’s just a sea of red, you knew it was going to be a Gladiator fight of fights”
Wasps also saw off French side Perpignan in their final pool game to earn a home tie in the quarter-finals before which Dallaglio brought his teammates to tears with a rousing speech.
Dallaglio said: “Warren Gatlin was crying, the fitness coach was crying, we timed our pitch to perfection that game because we came out absolutely ready for anything.
“The hits were verging on illegal even back then, winning away is tough, winning away in France was a real feather in your cap.
“Spanish influence, French influence, Italian influence, that creates quite a hostile environment, and we were very much aware of that.
“I remember reading the paper in that part of the world and the coach was quoted saying there’s going to be a blood bath on the pitch.”
Voyce added: “The changing room was something I’ve never experienced before.
“You’d have Oogie [Ayoola Erinle] in the corner reading a book and then you’d have Joe Worsley and Lawrence just smashing 10 bells into each other getting their shoulders hardened up for their big contact.
“And Lawrence bringing his colossal speeches and suddenly he’s got half the boys in tears.”
The previous year, Wasps obliterated Gloucester 34-3 to clinch Premeirship glory in which Dallaglio and teammate Paul Volley came together in a sickening collision.
Voyce said: “You’ve got the hardest man in Paul Volley on the pitch and then your leader both lying down.
“Lawrence got up and carried on playing it but also being able to make the right decisions and not affecting their other team members around them.”
Rob Howley added: “I wouldn’t say panic on our faces, but you know the inwardly we were thinking god please.”
Rugby Stories complements BT Sport’s coverage of club rugby with customers able to watch games from the Gallagher Premiership, Premiership Rugby Cup and both of rugby union’s elite European club competitions.
Sally Brown, executive producer, BT Sport Films, said: “We are proud of our position as the home of English and European club rugby, and Rugby Stories will take this to a new level.
“Rugby fans will re-live some of the game’s most iconic stories with a fresh approach that spotlights tales from the training ground, the changing rooms and inside the scrums.”
Each club will have a dedicated episode which typically airs on BT Sport on Friday evenings at 10pm directly following a live match from the Gallagher Premiership or Heineken Champions Cup on BT Sport.
Rugby Stories will highlight and bring to life a story from every club in the Gallagher Premiership, such as how clubs including Saracens and Leicester won a famous domestic or European title, or, overcoming adversity such as the threat of relegation in the case of Worcester Warriors.
And Rugby Stories will spotlight English club rugby history to a level not before seen on UK television, celebrating and remembering the game, featuring a signature format with current and former players speaking direct to the viewers.
For the full schedule of Rugby Stories, click on THIS link.
Customers can watch Rugby Stories in more ways than ever before, with the BT Sport App now available on a wide range of large screen devices and platforms including Samsung smart TVs, Now TV, Sony PlayStation, Xbox and Apple TV, as well as mobiles, tablets, BT TV, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media.
