Max Brito

In his 2007 interview, Brito was portrayed as living an unhappy life. He was quoted as saying:

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 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.

After the accident, Brito was given treatment and compensation, which was funded by all sides competing at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Nevertheless, in 2007, it was reported that Brito was still largely unable to move, being bedridden most of the time, with only some limited movement in his chest and arms. He and his wife have separated, whilst he has little contact with his sons, and he now lives with his parents in Bordeaux. There has been some criticism of how his case was handled, after the initial support: Damian Hopley, Head of the Professional Rugby Players' Association, said in 2003, "We became involved in money-raising events for Max ... but there was very little support for him from Rugby World Cup."

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 World Cup in South Africa, he was paralysed. As of 2007 he could only move his head, torso, and an arm.