K-dramaland is about to scrum down for romance. SBS’s upcoming Friday–Saturday series The Winning Try (12 eps) blows the whistle on 25 July 2025 at 9:50 p.m. KST, pairing g.o.d alum Yoon Kye-sang with Im Se-mi as ex-lovers whose reunion is anything but polite. Already-released stills show Im’s character levelling a pistol at her former flame—hardly the warm welcome Yoon’s cheeky hero expected.
A meet-cute at gunpoint
In the first publicity shots, disgraced rugby legend-turned-coach Joo Ga-ram (Yoon) waves sheepishly while shooting-coach Bae Yi-ji (Im) answers with a trembling barrel. The tonal whiplash hints at a rom-com that leans into slapstick while nursing deeper emotional bruises from a breakup three years earlier.
From doping disgrace to miracle on grass
Ga-ram once owned Korean rugby until a doping scandal benched his career. Now he’s back at his alma mater—Hanyang Physical Education High—tasked with turning its bottom-ranked squad into National Sports Festival contenders. His biggest obstacle, however, may be Yi-ji, the sharp-shooting ex who never forgave his silent exit.
Chemistry you can tackle
Yoon, fresh off dark thriller The Frog, promises “eccentric-coach chaos,” while Im follows her critically praised turn in My Dearest Nemesis with a heroine equal parts flinty and vulnerable. Idol-actor Kim Yo-han (WEi) adds Gen-Z spark as team captain Yoon Seong-joon, suspicious of his new coach’s motives.
Building an underdog roster
Supporting the scrum are Park Jung-yeon, veteran scene-stealers Gil Hae-yeon and Kim Min-sang, and a locker-room’s worth of rookie talent. TMDB’s provisional cast list confirms all will appear in every episode, suggesting a true ensemble arc that tracks each player’s growth on and off the pitch.
Behind the scrum: who’s calling the plays?
Taxi Driver 2 director Jang Young-seok teams with rookie writer Im Jin-ah, winner of SBS’s 2023 script contest. Their 12-episode game plan airs twice weekly and—per Netflix tip-sheets—will stream globally day-and-date, marking the first fruit of SBS’s new multi-year deal with the platform.
Rugby joins SBS’s winning sports line-up
SBS has recent form turning niche sports into ratings draws: baseball procedural Stove League topped its slot in 2019-20, while badminton youth drama Racket Boys peaked at 5–6 % nationwide in 2021. The Winning Try bets rugby can repeat that success with a fresh blend of locker-room grit and romantic banter.
What the production says
“The reunion romance between Yoon Kye-sang and Im Se-mi will be one of the main elements of the series,” the creative team teased, promising to “delightfully portray” how a reunion “complete with a gun” melts into something more tender across the season.
With a second-chance love story, an underdog sports arc, and a rare spotlight on Korean rugby, The Winning Try looks poised to deliver both heart-pounding scrums and heart-fluttering swoons. Mark your calendars for its July kick-off—and watch whether cold shoulders can turn into the warmest of second chances.
