A national cliché states that the north of Finland is where the "really tough guys" live. Lumberjacks or elk-hunters – or at least their descendents. Men who don't cry. At first glance, the men of the Oulo rugby team meet this image: Their mascot is an inflatable sex doll. But the facade crumbles at the first minor injury that the medic treats on the sideline. "Freetime Machos" portrays gentle husbands and sensitive fathers who have no objections to handling a vacuum-cleaner. One of the team members, recently fired by Nokia, is writing a novel about his former employer. Despite the occasional sexist comment, the team – constantly in fifth place in a league of six – fails to meet any clichés. They welcome a woman as a team member, and even homosexuality is not viewed as a major problem: "Everyone's a little bit gay," is an early comment. If at all, these "tough guys" are only tough on the playing field. Director Mika Ronkainen: "When soft men try to be tough, it may become a comedy. And when there is a comedy, there’s a tragedy, too."