During a late-night tour of Montevideo, a Uruguay rugby player offered the services of a hitman to kill a leading Counties rugby player. Photo / AP
Former All Black physiotherapist Malcolm Hood shares some remarkable stories from his long career with Neil Reid
Form slumps hit all elite New Zealand rugby players but you would never expect that to result in an offer to provide a hitman to make the player permanently "go away".
But that's just what happened during Counties' second tour of South America in the mid-1980s, when a flippant comment from team physio Malcolm Hood resulted in a local rugby player with connections to the underworld saying Lindsay Raki could be shot and killed for just US$110.
The offer was made as Hood and team captain Alan Dawson one of the best New Zealand players never to play for the All Blacks were taken on a late-night drive through Uruguay's capital city of Montevideo by local two players who were in the team to face Counties the following day.
"I was in the back seat and partway around the player next to me lent over to me and whispered, 'Malcolm, who do you want killed?'," Hood who was the All Blacks' first physio told the Herald.
"I said, 'What?'. I thought there might be a translation issue but his English was quite good. He repeated himself and I said, 'Well who can I have killed?'. He said, 'Anyone in Uruguay, anyone'."
Hood responded with what he thought was a joke, nominating Raki; a New Zealand Sevens star who played more than 100 games for Counties.
"I said, 'Oh well, our first-five hasn't been training as well as I would want, kill him'," he said.
But it was no joke for the Uruguay player, who told Hood the hit would cost US$110 ($163); including US$73 for the actual act and a charge of US$60 to source the murder weapon.
"That was when I realised he was serious and I told him 'No, no, I don't want Lindsay Raki killed, I will just get him to do some more sit-ups'," Hood said.
16 Oct, 2021 04:00 PMQuick Read
16 Oct, 2021 04:00 PMQuick Read
15 Oct, 2021 04:00 PMQuick Read
"But he said, 'No it is all right, I will have him killed'."
The Counties and Uruguay side had met on the eve of their match in Montevideo. Defying normal rugby conventions, the local selection was so excited to be hosting its first New Zealand provincial team that they held the "after match" function the night before they clashed on the field.
Fear over what might happen to Raki saw Hood stick close to him for the duration of the team's stay in Uruguay.
"And I was glad when we all got out safely," he laughed.
Hood kept the shocking offer a secret until just "the last couple of years", finally revealing it to a shocked Raki.
"He was in a group with his mates, a lot of ex-Counties players, and when I told him the story he said, 'What, Hoodie!!'. The other guys said, 'Hoodie, that's the only mistake you have ever made in your life . . . you should have let the guy have his way'."
Forty years on, Hood can now laugh about the comment that could have seen him responsible for the ordering of Raki's death.
The physio also turned life-saver during one of Counties' tours of South America.
The side was flying between destinations in Argentina when a "panicking voice" talking Spanish made an announcement over the plane's intercom system.
Hood was battling a stomach bug and said despite a clear "kerfuffle up the front" of the plane his priority was to keep his face "buried" in a paper bag.
A minute later and the message was repeated in English, asking for anyone with a medical background onboard to head to the front of the plane due to an "emergency".
"Thought a big plane this size, there will be somebody medical onboard, and that I wasn't much used to anyone being this unwell," Hood said. "But shortly after one of the female cabin crew tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to please come urgently to the front of the plane."
Hood was then told that the captain of the plane the head of the aircrew had collapsed. After examining the gravely ill pilot, Hood realised how serious the situation was.
"I didn't know whether he was having some sort of stroke or brain issue, but I knew it was life-threatening," he said.
"I said, 'We need to get him oxygen, we need to elevate his feet and how low can we fly the plane?'. They told me that flying low was no problem, the plane came down and it appeared out the portholes at just above pampas grass level . . . we were flying low."
Emergency services were waiting on a nearby tarmac for the plane when it landed.
On his next flight, Aerolineas Argentinas crew told him that the pilot was recovering, and then let Hood sit in the cockpit as a sign of appreciation.
It was not the only flight drama Hood and the Counties team experienced during their two tours of South America in the 1980s.
The side were on the first flight set to land at the nearest airport to one of Argentina's tourism hotspots - Iguacu Falls since the runway had been lengthened to handle international flights.
Seats on the historic flight were booked as a "treat" for the Counties team. But Hood recalled it was anything but a smooth landing.
"When we came to land, we took up all the runway and kept on going. The plane didn't stop at the end of the runway and kept going and we ran through the run-off at the end of the runway. When we finally stopped, the nose of the plane was over the fence into the neighbouring farm.
"While it was now classed an international airport, maybe it wasn't best suited to the size of the plane that we were in," Hood joked.
Rugby boss: 'I was a cannibal out of necessity'
Hood enjoyed plenty of post-match banter with the opposition during his time in top-flight rugby.
But one occasion in particular, in Chile, stands out when a suited and "beautifully spoken" senior rugby official told him that he "was a cannibal".
Counties travelled to Chile to play a local selection during their second South American tour in the mid-1980s.
Hood spent a lot of time speaking to the local rugby side's president during the after-match function.
"He and I got on really well, he was a really nice fellow," Hood said. "He had a depth of character about him that I really liked.
"We talked for ages and he brought up the fact that he was a cannibal. And then the story evolved that he was a cannibal out of necessity."
The rugby official then revealed to Hood that he was one of just 16 of the 45 passengers and crew onboard Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 also known as "Miracle Flight 571" - which crashed in the Andes in October 1972.
Nineteen of the passengers were members of Uruguay's Old Christians rugby club.
The official search for the crash site and any survivors was called off eight days after the plane went down. Two months later 16 people were eventually rescued, after two members of the rugby team hiked for 10 days into Chile to find help.
Once the small food supply salvaged from the plane wreck had been used up, survivors turned to eating the flesh of those who died in the crash.
"If they hadn't eaten their companions they wouldn't have survived," Hood said.
"It is bad enough to think you are a cannibal for most of us, but with a deeply Catholic religion, they had to go against all their faith because you just don't do that sort of thing.
"Several years later the Catholic church absolved them. But they had to live with that conscience for some time.
"I knew the story, but it was quite something to meet someone who had been there. I just marvelled in the survival story. He was such a humble, decent person."
The staggering story of survival has been chronicled in several books, as well as the Hollywood blockbuster movie Alive.
Go here to see the original:
- New Zealand to train Ukrainians on L119 howitzer - DefenseNews.com - May 25th, 2022
- I thought I was imagining things: New Zealand readers on close encounters with city birds - The Guardian - May 25th, 2022
- New Zealand has just joined an overtly anti-China alliance are the economic risks worth it? - The Conversation Indonesia - May 25th, 2022
- Reader call-out: What are your best memories of New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street? - The Guardian - May 25th, 2022
- Price of New Zealand passport rises - 1News - May 25th, 2022
- More people leaving New Zealand than entering as young flee high cost of living - The Guardian - May 25th, 2022
- New Zealands promised action on climate is nothing more than a tottering babys first steps - The Guardian - May 25th, 2022
- How will the Australia-New Zealand relationship change? - RNZ - May 25th, 2022
- Livestreams of Mass Shootings: From Buffalo to New Zealand - The New York Times - May 25th, 2022
- WWF-New Zealand: New Tech Is A Win-Win For Conservation And Fisheries | Scoop News - Scoop - May 25th, 2022
- New Zealand participation at World Expo crucial to build 'soft power' globally - Stuff - May 25th, 2022
- New Zealand Coastal Shipping Boost Biggest Turnaround This Century | Scoop News - Scoop - May 25th, 2022
- New Zealand Leads Medical Breakthrough In Oxygen Therapy | Scoop News - Scoop - May 25th, 2022
- Kane Williamson Set To Join New Zealand Team Ahead Of Test Series Against England - Cricket Addictor - May 25th, 2022
- Unicef report finds if everyone consumed resources like New Zealand, we would need 2.7 Earths to keep up with consumption - Newshub - May 25th, 2022
- How the Bay of Plenty could be one of New Zealand's best food destinations - New Zealand Herald - May 25th, 2022
- Dukes balls criticised ahead of New Zealand's three-test series versus England - Stuff - May 25th, 2022
- England v New Zealand live stream and team news: Ben Stokes to start role as captain against Kane... - talkSPORT - May 25th, 2022
- Coroner to open investigation into death of New Zealander Joseph Day this week - New Zealand Herald - May 25th, 2022
- Sickness season: How is New Zealand tracking with non-Covid illnesses? - New Zealand Herald - May 25th, 2022
- Gregor Paul: How New Zealand's drop goal stigma is handing an advantage to the North - New Zealand Herald - May 25th, 2022
- Covid-19 update: 17 further deaths, 7800 cases reported in New Zealand - RNZ - May 25th, 2022
- Head of Qualitative Practice be the heartbeat of Qual, Auckland, New Zealand - B&T - May 25th, 2022
- Tall poppy syndrome and 'proudly local': The things Kiwi expats notice about New Zealand that tourists don't - Stuff - May 21st, 2022
- Obituary - David Ian Pool: The Father of Aotearoa New Zealand Demography - Stuff - May 21st, 2022
- New Zealand battered by machine gun tornado - PerthNow - May 21st, 2022
- 30 years on... The unveiling of a New Zealand sporting great - Stuff - May 21st, 2022
- Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022: New Zealand announce 18-strong athletics team - New Zealand Herald - May 21st, 2022
- MMMBop hitmakers Hanson to play one New Zealand show in November - Stuff - May 21st, 2022
- New Zealand overtourism: Residents invite tourists to 'tread lightly and leave no trace' - Euronews - May 21st, 2022
- Former New Zealand Women Cricketer Katey Martin Reveals Reason Behind Early Retirement - Cricketnmore - May 21st, 2022
- Special Ukraine visa: Jump in the number of people seeking refuge in NZ - RNZ - May 21st, 2022
- Former lock picker and hacker to represent New Zealand at global cyber security event - Newshub - May 21st, 2022
- We need to spend billions replacing old hospitals - so who should pay? - Stuff - May 21st, 2022
- Massive 6.7 magnitude earthquake hits near New Zealand and Australia prompting Tsunami fears... - The US Sun - May 21st, 2022
- Easy ride to mental health - New Zealand News - New Zealand Herald - May 21st, 2022
- Snowfall warnings as severe 'winter blast' bears down on New Zealand - Stuff - May 21st, 2022
- New Zealand's Ardern tests positive for COVID-19 - May 17th, 2022
- New Zealand shooting survivor says violence achieved nothing - NPR - May 17th, 2022
- New Zealand to help pay for cleaner cars to reduce emissions - The Associated Press - May 17th, 2022
- New Zealand banks predict 20% drop in house prices over next year - The Guardian - May 17th, 2022
- Alarmed by Solomon Islands-China pact, New Zealand finds its voice on security - WION - May 17th, 2022
- FIRST READING: Why the world hates Canada for its dairy policy - National Post - May 17th, 2022
- The Russian invasion of Ukraine made everyone nervous, upending trade patterns for exporting countries like New Zealand - The Conversation Indonesia - May 17th, 2022
- Bangladesh to play in T20I tri-series in New Zealand before T20 World Cup - ESPNcricinfo - May 17th, 2022
- Limerick-born 'titan' of New Zealand investment industry dies - The Irish Times - May 17th, 2022
- Will the budget be another missed opportunity to get more New Zealanders out of their cars? - The Conversation Indonesia - May 17th, 2022
- NZ edges towards grim milestone of 1000 Covid deaths. Who and where has it hit hardest? - New Zealand Herald - May 17th, 2022
- New Zealand's Southland District Council Wants Public Input on Its Gambling Policy - Casino.Org News - May 17th, 2022
- New Zealands dairy industry should stop using Mori culture to pretend its sustainable - The Guardian - May 17th, 2022
- Youngsters Potts and Brook in line for first Test call-ups in England's squad to face NZ - iNews - May 17th, 2022
- The rheumatic fever question: Is New Zealand finally tackling the disease or did Covid restrictions cause a brief lull? - New Zealand Herald - May 17th, 2022
- JOLT To Roll Out Free And Fast Electric Vehicle Charging Network To Cities Across New Zealand | Scoop News - Scoop - May 17th, 2022
- What's Streaming This June On Shudder In New Zealand | Scoop News - Scoop - May 17th, 2022
- Ovarian cancer: The least researched and one of the deadliest in New Zealand - Newshub - May 17th, 2022
- Report sparked by Olympians tragic death highlights culture of medals over wellbeing - Fox Sports - May 17th, 2022
- Coronavirus: Modeller believes around half of New Zealand's population has been infected with COVID-19 - Newshub - May 17th, 2022
- Agri-reliant countries must pave way for cutting agriculture emissions, says New Zealand expert - TheJournal.ie - May 17th, 2022
- Sealord plan to close seamounts in New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone - New Zealand Herald - May 17th, 2022
- The problem with New Zealand's protection gap - The Spinoff - May 17th, 2022
- Weather: Storm over Tasmania pushing in cold and blustery winds to New Zealand - New Zealand Herald - May 17th, 2022
- Vodafone New Zealand Disappointed In FibreX Judgment And Intends To Appeal Both Conviction And Fine | Scoop News - Scoop - May 17th, 2022
- James Anderson has 'more to give to the game' as he targets England Test recall - ESPNcricinfo - May 17th, 2022
- New Zealand's growth forecast to stall completely in 2023 - BNZ - RNZ - May 17th, 2022
- New Zealand opens CPTPP dispute with Canada over dairy access - New Zealand Herald - May 17th, 2022
- Jacinda Ardern reminds us why New Zealand should be suspended from the Five Eyes alliance - Washington Examiner - April 22nd, 2022
- Cheesegate 2.0? Air New Zealand to switch up cheese and crackers in Koru Hour - Stuff - April 22nd, 2022
- US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand Issue Advisory on Russian State-Sponsored and Criminal Cyber Threats to Critical Infrastructure - JD Supra - April 22nd, 2022
- New Zealand family erects headstone in shape of iPhone for late daughter - New York Post - April 22nd, 2022
- First 'Carbonzero' Certified Butter set to Hit New Zealand Shelves - Dairy Herd Management - April 22nd, 2022
- New Zealand Rugby appoint more women to board - RNZ - April 22nd, 2022
- 'Allies, not friends': Have NZ and Australia drifted apart? - New Zealand Herald - April 22nd, 2022
- Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission urges anglers, boaters to help prevent spread of invasive New Zealand mudsnails - WGAL Susquehanna Valley Pa. - April 22nd, 2022
- New Zealand scientists find tremor link that could predict volcanic eruptions - The Guardian - April 22nd, 2022
- Covid-19: Rod Jackson - was New Zealand's response to the pandemic proportionate? - New Zealand Herald - April 22nd, 2022
- NZX50 Index eases 0.3%, Air New Zealand shares and rights soar - Stuff - April 22nd, 2022
- The Front Page podcast: Inside the scandal rocking Arise church - New Zealand Herald - April 22nd, 2022
- Aloha Dance Club to showcase island dances from New Zealand to Hawaii - OSU - The Lantern - April 22nd, 2022
- New Zealand star Dave Letele praises 'amazing' Katie Taylor: 'I think she's great for the sport' - dazn.com - April 22nd, 2022
- M'ohi Nui exhibition explores the Tahitian diaspora in New Zealand - New Zealand Herald - April 22nd, 2022