Yoon Kye-sang
Joo Ga-ram
Overview
A disgraced former rugby star returns as a coach to his high school’s struggling team, where he reunites with his ex-girlfriend and helps the determined captain lead the team to redemption.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 12 episodes
- First aired
- Jul 25, 2025
Cast
12 people
Im Se-mi
Bae Yi-ji
Kim Yo-han
Yoon Seong-joon
Kil Hae-yeon
Kang Jung-hyo
Kim Min-sang
Seung Jong-man
Reviews
5 min readThe Try That Carries More Than the Ball
I’ve seen this story before. Disgraced athlete, down-on-its-luck team, corrupt administrators, a training montage set to swelling strings. The sports underdog narrative is as predictable as a scrum at the two-meter line.
And yet, The Winning Try made me care—genuinely, stubbornly care—about whether these boys in their mud-stained jerseys would win a single match. That’s the small miracle of this series: it takes a formula so familiar it should feel like a rerun and somehow makes it feel like a letter written just for you.
The secret isn’t in the plot. It’s in the weight of the ball.
Jang Young-seok, the director, understands something fundamental about sports stories: the game itself is never the point. It’s the thing that happens between the plays—the breath held before the whistle, the glance exchanged in the huddle, the way a body braces for impact—that carries the real drama. In The Winning Try, rugby isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a metaphor so precise it borders on cliché, but the execution is so earnest it disarms you.
You can’t pass the ball forward in rugby. You can only move it backward or sideways, trusting your teammates to carry it the rest of the way. That rule becomes the spine of the entire series.
Life, the show argues, is a series of tackles you don’t see coming. The only way forward is to keep moving, even if it means going sideways first.
This isn’t a series about winning. It’s about the try—the attempt, the effort, the moment before the ball touches the ground. And in that, it finds something rare in sports dramas: humility.
The show’s greatest strength is its refusal to let its characters off the hook. Ju Ga-ram (Yoon Kye-sang) isn’t a noble fallen hero. He’s a man who made a mistake—a doping scandal that derailed his career—and now he’s back at his alma mater, coaching a team that doesn’t trust him and a school that barely tolerates him.
Yoon plays him with a weary, hangdog charm, his shoulders perpetually slumped as if carrying an invisible scrum on his back. There’s a scene in the third episode where he’s forced to confront the team’s captain, Seong-jun (Kim Yo-han), in the locker room. The camera lingers on Ga-ram’s face as he listens to the boy’s anger, his jaw tightening just enough to betray the guilt he’s trying to swallow.
Audience Opinions
Audience 7.5/10
"A heartfelt sports drama with strong performances but uneven pacing and familiar tropes."
The series resonates with viewers for its emotional depth and the compelling dynamic between the lead characters, particularly in their personal struggles and growth. latestnetflix.com's view is that however, some find the plot predictable, relying too heavily on well-worn sports drama clichés, and the pacing drags in the middle episodes, testing patience before the final act.
What viewers praise
- Strong lead performances Yoon Kye-sang and Lim Se-mi deliver nuanced portrayals that anchor the series emotionally.
- Emotional depth The personal journeys of the characters, especially their struggles and triumphs, feel authentic and moving.
- Engaging final act The climax and resolution are widely praised for delivering satisfying payoffs and high stakes.
- Chemistry between leads The dynamic between the main characters adds layers to the story, making their relationship a highlight.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows too many familiar sports drama tropes, making it feel formulaic at times.
- Uneven pacing The middle episodes drag, with some viewers losing interest before the stronger final stretch.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles, while present, often lack depth and feel like missed opportunities for richer storytelling.
- Overused sports clichés The series leans heavily on well-worn underdog and training montages, which some find uninspired.
Recommended for
Sports drama enthusiasts Fans of emotional character arcs Yoon Kye-sang admirers Underdog story lovers Korean drama fans seeking depth
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Winning Try (2025): The Comeback Story Behind Netflix’s Feel-Good Rugby Drama
The Winning Try isn’t just another sports drama—it’s a redemption arc wrapped in sweat, grit, and high school nostalgia. The 2025 South Korean series, helmed by director Jang Young-seok, has already carved out a niche as Netflix’s most uplifting rugby story of the year, blending athletic intensity with personal stakes. But what’s the real story behind the series that’s got fans cheering for more than just the final score?
From Doping Scandal to Small-Screen Redemption
At the heart of The Winning Try is Ju Ga-ram (Yoon Kye-sang), a once-celebrated rugby star whose career implodes after a doping scandal. The series picks up years later, with Ga-ram returning to his alma mater, Hanyang Physical Education High School, as a coach for its perpetually underdog rugby team 
. The premise—disgraced athlete rebuilding his life through mentorship—isn’t new, but the execution leans into the raw, emotional beats of a classic underdog tale. Think Coach Carter meets Reply 1988, with a Korean twist.
The hook? Ga-ram’s return forces him to confront his past, including his ex-girlfriend (Lim Se-mi), who’s now a teacher at the school 
. The tension between personal history and professional duty adds layers to the sports narrative, making the series as much about healing as it is about touchdowns (or tries, in rugby terms).
The Cast: A Mix of Veterans and Rising Stars
Yoon Kye-sang, known for his roles in The Outlaws (2017) and The Devil Judge (2021), anchors the series as the flawed but determined Ga-ram. His chemistry with Lim Se-mi—who played the fierce prosecutor in Partners for Justice (2018–2019)—has been a talking point, with early reviews praising their on-screen dynamic . But the real wildcard is Kim Yo-han, the former X1 member turned actor, who plays the team’s captain. His casting adds a K-pop adjacent buzz, especially given his fanbase’s crossover appeal.
Supporting roles are stacked with character actors: Kil Hae-yeon (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha), Kim Min-sang (Vincenzo), and Jang Hyuk-jin (Squid Game) round out the ensemble, bringing depth to the high school’s faculty and students . The diversity of experience—from crime thrillers to rom-coms—suggests a deliberate effort to balance the series’ emotional and comedic tones.
Behind the Scenes: Why Rugby?
Rugby isn’t a mainstream sport in Korea, which makes The Winning Try’s focus on it intriguing. The series doesn’t just use the game as a backdrop; it dives into the sport’s culture, from the physicality of scrums to the camaraderie of the locker room . Director Jang Young-seok, whose previous work includes The Fiery Priest (2019), seems to be leaning into the contrast between rugby’s rough-and-tumble reputation and the series’ heartwarming core.
Production details are scarce, but the series’ 12-episode run (airing Fridays and Saturdays on SBS before hitting Netflix) suggests a tight, binge-friendly structure . The limited episode count likely means no filler—just a straight shot at redemption, both for the characters and the sport itself.
What’s Next?
With the series wrapping in August 2025, fans are already speculating about a second season. The ending, per early recaps, leaves room for Ga-ram’s team to grow beyond their high school years . Whether Netflix will greenlight a follow-up depends on viewership, but the streaming giant’s investment in Korean content makes it a strong possibility.
For now, The Winning Try stands as a testament to the power of second chances—on and off the field. And if the early buzz is any indication, it might just score the winning try in the hearts of sports drama fans.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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