# Ivory Coast at the Rugby World Cup

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. He had 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 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."
Brito's injury raised concerns about the presence of such teams in a rugby union environment on the brink of professionalisation.

## By position

| Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Rugby World Cup record | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification |
| Year | Round | P | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Head coach | P | W | D | L | F | A |
| 1987 | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited | Not invited |
| 1991 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 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 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 33 |
| 2003 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 100 | 54 |
| 2007 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 618 |
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 150 | 203 |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 267 | 228 |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 52 | 215 |
| 2023 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | In progress | In progress | In progress | In progress | In progress | In progress |
| Total | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 172 | — | — | 49 | 19 | 0 | 30 | 948 | 1426 |

## Overall record

| 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 |

### 1995 Rugby World Cup

Pool D matches -
| Teamvte | 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
### Highest team score

* 18 vs France 1995
* 11 vs Tonga 1995

### Biggest score against

* 89 vs Scotland 1995
* 54 vs France 1995
* 29 vs Tonga 1995

### Worst losing margin

* 89 vs Scotland 1995
* 36 vs France 1995
* 18 vs Tonga 1995

## Individual records
### Most points

* 8 Victor Kouassi
* 6 Athanase Dali
* 5 Soumaila Okou
* 5 Aboubakar Camara
* 5 Soulama

### 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

* 1 Soulama
* 1 Aboubakar Camara
* 1 Soumaila Okou