Max Brito
| Date of birth | April 8, 1971 | ||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||
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| National team(s) | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Apps | (points) |
| 1995 | Ivory Coast | 3 | (0) |
Max Brito (born 8 April 1971 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast) is a former rugby union player on the Ivory Coast rugby team. As a result of injuries sustained at the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup in South Africa, he was paralysed. As of 2007 he could only move his head, torso, and an arm.
Brito played as a winger, and spent his career playing for Biscarrosse Olympique in the Fédérale 3 division of French rugby. An electrician by trade, he was noticeable on the field for his long dreadlocks as well as his brave play. Brito was called into the Ivorian national team squad for the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup. Brito came on as a substitute in the opening game against Scotland which the Ivory Coast lost by 89 points to nil, a result which led many to question the inclusion of "minor" teams in the tournament. He played again in the second game for Les Elephants, who put in a vastly improved performance against France, despite losing 54–18.
Brito started Ivory Coast's third match against Tonga on 3 June. He caught a high ball that had been kicked up the field, and set off on a counter-attack. 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. Brito was taken to the intensive care unit of the Unitas Hospital in Pretoria with broken vertebrae. Operations were carried out to stabilize the fourth and fifth vertebrae, but Brito was left paralysed below the neck.
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