On this day 26 years ago, Ivory Coast wing Max Brito was trapped under a ruck after being tackled in their match against Tonga and suffered a broken back which left him a quadriplegic.

Tragedy at the World Cup … three minutes into Ivory Coast’s 29-11 defeat by Tonga, their winger Max Brito was trapped under a ruck after being tackled and suffered a broken back. He was rushed to hospital but despite several operations was left a quadriplegic. ‘It is now 12 years since I have been in this state,’ he said in 2007. ‘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.’

Photo: Gallo Images