Today is a day I will always remember.

[More:]

We were invited to watch a rugby match: Old Christians against Old Boys. The Old Christians are ex-pupils of the Christian Brothers’ School, and the Old Boys of the British School, with historical ties to Ireland and Britain respectively, although practically all the pupils are Uruguayan. These are the top two teams in Uruguay, with many of the players in the national team.

A pair of southern lapwigs, fiercely trying to guard their territory, failed dismally in the face of the battling rival teams. It was a gorgeous, cloudless day, the pitch smooth and bright green, so different from my days years ago standing on muddy Belgian sidelines on miserable wet days with three small children cheering on their Dad. I shall never totally be cleansed of the stink of jerseys and shorts soaking in the bucket (though Napisan helped!)

We were cheering for Old Christians, who never really took off. They fluffed their lineouts and their passes weren’t clean. The Old Boys deservedly beat them 20 – 11.

But it was a worthwhile afternoon. When we arrived I was introduced to a white-haired Old Christian sitting right behind me who used to play scrum half for the team, and who still plays with the veterans. I had often rehearsed this moment in my head: ‘You are my hero,’ I was going to say … but I clammed up, and could only mumble ‘It’s an honour to meet you.’

Throughout the match, I could hear the man's husky voice encouraging his team: 'Vamos, azules, vamos!' - 'Go, blues, go!'

The man was Roberto Canessa, one of the survivors of the 1972 Andes plane crash, and who, along with Nando Parrado, walked, totally underequipped, for ten days across the mountains to get help. For more on Canessa, Parrado and the accident, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Canessa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nando_Parrado
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguayan_Air_Force_Flight_571
Nando Parrado’s book, ‘Miracle in the Andes’ is well worth reading: far more so than Piers Paul Read’s ‘Alive’.