SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama "The Winning Try" is striking a chord with a feel-good, goosebump-inducing rise-to-glory arc that’s rallying the coveted 20-49 demo.
Created by writer Im Jin-a and director Jang Young-seok, "The Winning Try" follows unpredictable maverick coach Joo Garam and the perennial underdogs of Hanyang Sports High’s rugby team as they charge toward a National Sports Festival crown. Episodes 9 and 10 peaked at 7.4% nationwide, with Episode 9 hitting 2.96% in the 20-49 demo. The series also ranked No. 2 in the social media category on Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex for Aug. 18-24, signaling serious heat with younger viewers.
So what’s powering its grip on the 20-49 crowd?
First, it’s the kind of underdog growth story you can’t help but root for. Under coach Garam (Yoon Kye-sang), Hanyang Sports High’s once-bottom-dwelling squad starts breaking out of its shell in electrifying fashion. Captain Sung-jun (Kim Yo-han), Young-gwang (Kim Yi-joon), Myeong-woo (Lee Soo-chan), Hyeong-sik (Yoon Jae-chan), Ju-yang (Hwang Sung-bin), Seon-ho (Woo Min-gyu), and Woong (Kim Dan) each level up under Garam’s tough-love sincerity―and audiences are cheering every step.
Standout beats fuel that momentum: In Episode 2, Sung-jun nails the team’s first try against last year’s champs, Daesang High School, thanks to one of Garam’s gutsy calls―a chill-inducing moment. Episode 5 sees Young-gwang ditch the “safe” path of a government job to chase rugby after Garam’s advice, delivering a lump-in-throat payoff. Woong conquers his tackling trauma, while Hyeong-sik tunes out trash talk to stay locked in―personal wins that add up to a team awakening viewers can’t look away from.
Meanwhile, Bae Yi-ji (Im Se-mi) earns her own coach stripes. To protect shooting ace Seo Woo-jin (Park Jung-yeon), Yi-ji fights through the yips, then decides to return to school to guide Woo-jin’s rehab―fully stepping into her role as mentor. Watching a teacher who understands “I want to shoot” better than anyone else come back for her kids is the kind of quiet, cathartic moment that lands hard.
The show’s web of relationships also keeps 20-49 viewers hooked. There’s the tender romance between Garam and Yi-ji; the breezy, youth-soaked spark between Sung-jun and Woo-jin; the mentor-mentee warmth of Garam and Sung-jun; Woo-jin and Woong bonding over a blueberry smoothie; the senior-year trio of Sung-jun, Young-gwang, and Myeong-woo; the one-team chemistry of Hanyang Sports High’s rugby squad; and the original Hanyang crew―Garam, Yi-ji, Bang Heung-nam (Jung Soon-won), Ma Seok-bong (Bae Myung-jin), and Yang Seung-hee (Lee Ji-min)―trading quick-fire banter. The mix swings from laugh-out-loud to lump-in-throat, fueling full-on emotional investment.
That passion is spilling onto forums and social feeds, with comments like “Garam and Sung-jun’s mentor bond wrecks me―in the best way,” “Let Sung-jun walk nothing but happy rugby roads,” “Sung-jun and Woo-jin are my healing duo,” and “See you in the National Sports Festival finals, Hanyang!”
With its instantly rootable underdog arc and relationship-driven pull, "The Winning Try" has 20-49 viewers firmly in its corner. But Episode 10 ended on a shocker: Coach Garam revealed he has myasthenia gravis, throwing Hanyang Sports High and its rugby team into turmoil. Can they still make the National Sports Festival―and complete the “miracle” with a championship run? All eyes are on the final two episodes.
"The Winning Try" airs its finale―Episodes 11 and 12―on Aug. 29 and 30 at 9:50 p.m.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)