4. WAYNE SHELFORD (RIPPED SCROTUM)
We’ve saved the best for last here, with the story of former All Blacks captain Wayne “Buck” Shelford who suffered possibly the most horrific injury known to man in just his second international game. Be warned, this one is graphic.
During the infamous “Battle of Nantes” between New Zealand and France in 1986, Shelford first had three teeth knocked out of his head before suffering a concussion which knocked him out. But the worst was yet to come.
Early in the second half while trying to recover the ball from a ruck, a stray French boot ripped open his scrotum and left one of his testicles hanging out. Amazingly, Shelford was unaware of the fact until after the game, where he simply asked the team doctor to stitch him back together.
New Zealand lost the game 16-3, but it would be the only international game Shelford ever lost as a player. He went on to be a part of the New Zealand team that won the first ever Rugby World Cup and even captained the team for the three years that followed.