George Clooney's 'The Boys in the Boat' puts rowing on the big screen ahead of 2024 O

Australia Men’s Eight coach Mark Prather says it is “really exciting” to have the rowing on the big screen with the release of George Clooney’s ‘The Boys in the Boat.’ The film, starring Australia's Joel Edgerton, hit cinemas on Friday. “Really exciting to have our fantastic sport of rowing on the big screen,” Mr Prather told Sky News Australia. “We all went along last night to watch an advanced screening. “It’s great to have rowing at the forefront of people’s minds going into an important Olympic year.” The film tells the story of the University of Washington’s rowing team as they chase gold at the 1936 Olympic Games held in Nazi Germany. It is an inspiring real-life tale about underdogs rising to the top to take on the best in the world. The film’s release comes as a group of Australia’s own underdogs have their eyes set on the same podium for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Canberra-based Australia Men's Eight crew who are hoping to create some history of their own are in heavy training for national trials in February.