In The Thicket director Phillip Sage launches film to promote Tobias Rowles new ‘Believers’ book

Believers, a new book by photographer Tobias Rowles intimately captures people unified in their belief and devotion to the St George Illawarra rugby league team. Building on this rich subject matter In The Thicket director Phillip Sage has created a short film that promotes the book by telling the stories of some of the key people that it features.

Both the book and film tell a personal and collective narrative – one that charts not only the individual histories of fans and their passion for one of the most recognised teams in Australian sport, but also celebrates the cultural diversity that is modern Australia.

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The imagery and stories told capture the belief, emotion and trust fans invest in their club. As well it highlights the significance sport plays in the lives of individuals as a means of personal expression, a building block for identity, a place to belong and a foundation for community.

The book is available for purchase from TobiasRowlesBelievers.com for a limited time with free shipping.

Says Rowles: “The idea for my book came about in 2010 at Kogarah Oval when the Dragons were favourites for the premiership. Being an avid Dragons fan myself and immersed in the atmosphere of the crowd I was intrigued by the intensity, hope, diversity and commitment of Dragons fans on game day. I wanted to know more and decided to go beyond what I was seeing at the games and find out how their passion for the Dragons shaped their lives. I then spent the next 3 and a half years tracking down, meeting, sharing stories, photographing and finding out who some of these people really were. It was amazing working with Phillip Sage and seeing this project come together as a film. I was able to reconnect with some of my subjects and see, hear and feel their stories through different eyes.”

Says Sage: “This was a really unique opportunity for me to share personal stories, to look at the lives of real people united by their unwavering love of the Dragons. I think this subject speaks beyond this though, touching on what motivates people and how they choose to define who they are. Collaborating with Tobias on this was really rewarding.”

Says Roy Masters, journalist and former coach (who wrote the forward to the book): “This book is an inspirational reminder of why rugby league is the main religion for many and St George the principal denomination.”