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The Ivory Coast's only Rugby World Cup appearance was in 1995 when they were placed in Pool D with France, Scotland, and Tonga.
Their appearance in the 1995 Rugby World Cup was fairly notorious and controversial. In the opening game against Scotland, the Ivory Coast lost by 89 points to nil, a result which led many to question the inclusion of "minor" teams in the tournament. Worse still, three minutes into the third match, against Tonga, their winger Max Brito was crushed beneath several other players. Despite intensive care, Brito was left paralyzed below the neck.[1] He had caught a high ball that had been kicked up the field, and set off on a counter-attack.[2] He was tackled by Inoke Afeaki, the Tonga flanker, before a ruck formed over him. The ruck collapsed and several players fell on top of Brito, leaving him prone and motionless on the ground.[3] Brito was taken to the intensive care unit of the Unitas Hospital in Pretoria with broken vertebrae.[4] Operations were carried out to stabilize the fourth and fifth vertebrae, but Brito was left paralyzed below the neck.
In a 2007 interview, Brito was portrayed as living an unhappy life. He was quoted as saying that
...It is now 12 years since I have been in this state. I have come to the end of my tether... If one day I fall seriously ill, and if I have the strength and courage to take my own life, then I will do it...This bloody handicap - it's my curse. It kills me and I will never accept it. I can't live with it and it's going to be with me for the rest of my life."[3]
Brito's injury raised concerns about the presence of such teams in a rugby union environment on the brink of professionalisation.[2]
By position
edit| Rugby World Cup record | Qualification | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | P | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Head coach | P | W | D | L | F | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  1987
|
Not invited | Not invited | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
     1991
|
Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 45 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 1995
|
Pool stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 172 | Squad | C. Ezoua | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999
|
Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 54 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 618 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011
|
10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 150 | 203 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015
|
10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 267 | 228 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 2019
|
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 52 | 215 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023
|
In progress | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 172 | — | — | 49 | 19 | 0 | 30 | 948 | 1426 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overall record
edit| Country | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/− | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tonga
|
1 | — | — | 1 | 11 | 29 | -18 | 0 |
| France
|
1 | — | — | 1 | 18 | 54 | -36 | 0 |
| Scotland
|
1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 89 | -89 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | — | — | 3 | 29 | 172 | -143 | 0 |
Pool D matches -
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 47 | +67 | 9 |
| Scotland
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 149 | 27 | +122 | 7 |
| Tonga
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 90 | −46 | 5 |
 Ivory Coast
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 172 | −143 | 3 |
| 26 May 1995 |
| Ivory Coast | 0–89 | Scotland |
| Tries: G. Hastings (4), Logan (2), Walton (2), Wright, Chalmers, Stanger, Burnell, Shiel Con: G. Hastings (9) Pen: G. Hastings (2) |
| Olympia Park, Rustenburg Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Felise Vito (Western Samoa) |
| 30 May 1995 |
| France | 54–18 | Ivory Coast |
| Tries: Lacroix (2), Benazzi, Téchoueyres, Viars, Accoceberry, Saint-André, Costes Con: Deylaud (2), Lacroix (2) Pen: Lacroix (2) | Tries: Soulama, Camara Con: Kouassi Pen: Kouassi (2) |
| Olympia Park, Rustenburg Attendance: 17,000 Referee: Han Moon-soo (South Korea) |
| 3 June 1995 |
| Ivory Coast | 11–29 | Tonga |
| Tries: Okou Pen: Dali (2) | Tries: 'Otai, Tu'ipulotu, Latukefu Con: Tu'ipulotu (3) Pen: Tu'ipulotu |
| Olympia Park, Rustenburg Attendance: 16,000 Referee: Don Reordan (United States) |
- Ivory Coast player Max Brito was left a quadriplegic after suffering a cervical spine injury in this match.
Team records
edit- Highest team score
- Biggest score against
- Worst losing margin
Individual records
edit- Most points
- Most points in a game
- 8 Victor Kouassi vs
France - 6 Athanase Dali vs
Tonga - 5 Soumaila Okou vs Tonga
- 5 Aboubakar Camara vs France
- 5 Soulama vs France
- Most tries
References
edit- Davies, Gerald (2004) The History of the Rugby World Cup (Sanctuary Publishing Ltd, (ISBN 1860746020)
- Farr-Jones, Nick, (2003). Story of the Rugby World Cup, Australian Post Corporation, (ISBN 0-642-36811-2)
- ^ Pirate Irwin (4 October 2007). "Max Brito at end of tether after 12-year struggle". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
- ^ a b Rugby World Cup History – The Plight of Max Brito Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine Talking Rugby Union. 29-08-11. Accessed 20-09-11
- ^ a b "Max Brito at end of tether after 12-year struggle". Mail & Guardian (South Africa). 2007-10-04.
- ^ L’Historique du Biscarrosse Olympique Rugby Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine Biscarrosse Rugby. Accessed 19-09-11