On Sunday 14th March 2001, Spain played Romania at home in the first of the IRB Rugby World Cup European Zone preliminaries. Halfway through the first half the Spanish prop forward Iganez was sent off for stamping on the Romanian fly half Corin Abrazu. The Romanian was taken off the field for treatment to two wounds, a head wound and a leg wound. After the physio had tried to staunch the flow of blood to the head wound, (and failed) he called for an ambulance to get Abrazu into hospital. At the hospital, a broken knife blade was removed from Abrazu’s leg.
He was allowed home from hospital at flew home a few days later. Iganez was arrested for attempted murder by the Spanish Police in Pamplona. Iganez has continually denied any wrong doing (and video evidence supports this).
Last week Abrazu withdrew from the Romanian team to play Portugal, complaining of headaches. It was thought he had banged his head in a club match the previous weekend. He collapsed at his home, and was rushed to hospital. X-Rays showed a .22 calibre bullet lodged in his brain. The entrance wound had been stitched by a Spanish doctor in the belief that it had been caused by a boot stud. Iganez was then questioned by Spanish police about the bullet….
The truth is always so much more surreal. Apparently, Abrazu had received death threats before the Spanish game via post (the letter was sent from Cadiz). He laughed them off until fifteen minutes into the game he felt what he thought was a bee sting on the back of his head. He felt the wound and found that he was bleeding. Not knowing what had happened, he continued until four minutes later when the incident with Iganez occurred.
Iganez plays for Bilbao in the Basque country. He had received a letter before the match saying that unless he helped with the murder of Abrazu, his family would be murdered. He was told that someone on the pitch would kill the Romanian. All he had to do was to “rough up” the Romanian to allow a doctor on to the pitch. This is what he was attempting to do when he was called aside by the ref. Only, he had done nothing up to that point.
Spanish authorities, investigating the incidents found that:
1. Abrazu was targeted because he had been “seeing” (euphemism for bonking) Inja Felipe de Compostilla … the ETA bosses daughter (ETA being the Basque extremists), the year before while he played for Santander in Spain. She was up the duff.
2. The knife wound was administered by a stretcher assistant, the knife used is an ETA speciality called a “Juanez”, where the blade is intended to break inside the wound.
3. The bullet was fired from the crowd by a hired assassin … hired by Inja Felipe de Campostilla because she was up the duff….(complicated or what….) All of the suspects have now been rounded up. Spanish Authorities also want to extradite Abrazu, since the young “lady” in question is just 14 years old.
And we thought the All Blacks and Springboks were a tough lot.
This was sent to me by Stubbies member Andy Whittles via Dallas.
At least it’s a bit more colourful than a gang rape in Coffs Harbour, I suppose. But then the latter might yet deliver Braith Anasta to rugby union, and we certainly need a decent 5/8 as an alternative to Larkham. It’s an ill wind that blows no-one any good.
Christ. It sounds like an opera libretto by Bizet.
You are actually making the game interesting.
Boys, boys, boys, what a day you’ve had!
War, terrorism, tactics, killing, politics, pocket pissing – Ken, James, Geoff.
Could things get any better?
– Wayne, you are a genius! Pure poetry mate: Sport, death threats, violence, fucking, paedophilia, pregnancy and gang rape.
The stuff of dreams – marred, but only slightly, by the absence of the drunken, alcholic, stinking, stumbling, good bloke who has just pissed the bed.
We almost had it all.
You’ve inspired me – and I’m not kidding! Damn useful, but that’s a whole other topic.
Thinga will get heavy when they hear about this back in Romania.
Sadly it looks like Wayne’s story may be just an urban rugby legend. See http://www.ul.ie/~scaoil/issue2.16/page10.htm
Pity!
Bugger.
And it was getting me right in the mood for tonight’s Bulls flogging too.
You don’t understand, the real names weren’t used, would you like an ETA hitman coming after you with a blade-breaking knife or a .22 in the head from the stand at Rugby park ? Of course not ! Consequently, googling will not show any reference to the facts – I thought a student at Limerick university would have enough nous to connect the dots.
cojones el rugbija
Though the internet knows no borders, Barista walks the physical streets of Melbourne, a lovable, uppity, gracious, pompous provincial city in the Southern hemisphere. We adore Australian Rules and are bewildered by Rugby. There is more than one kind? …