A real, live “Alive” survivor relates his Andes ordeal

By Buzz McClain

“If we had been soccer players, we would have died.”

It’s probably the most popular rugby movie ever. Too bad everyone thinks it’s about cannibalism.

The movie is “Alive,” the dramatic tale of a school alumni team from Uruguay on its way to a match in Chile in 1972 when the plane crashed in the Andes. The film, which reaches video stores Sept. 1 along with a companion documentary, depicts the hardships the survivors encountered during their 72 days in brutal conditions.

Among other things, they consumed the frozen flesh of the victims. In reality, the film might never have been made if not for the popular bumper sticker: “Rugby Player Eat Their Dead,” which was inspired by the Uruguay episode.

Rugby Players Eat Their Dead

Have you ever seen a rugby game?

There is no other game that is quite as aggressive with no holds barred. A rare crazy group of people I’d want on my side in a fight.

Also, Dec 29 1972

Members of a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes admit at a press conference that they survived by Cannibalism. This spawned a popular theme for bumper stickers, “Rugby Players Eat Their Dead”. But best of all is the quote from one of the team, “If we had been soccer players, we would have died.”

Appearantly Rugby players hold Soccer/Footballers in low regard.

Back in late 1972, a Uruguayan rugby club was traveling over the Andes to Chile when their plane crashed on the mountaintop. Some of the 45 passengers and crew were killed in the crash. A few others were not so fortunate, as they succumbed to their injuries and the cold, and an avalanche killed some more. They would be on the mountain for 10 weeks before only 16 of them were rescued. Naturally, during this period, the survivors got hungry. After searching their souls for a long time, they decided it would be acceptable in God’s eyes (they were all Catholic) to eat the flesh of the dead (it was freezing cold, so the bodies didn’t spoil). Some of them were medical students who knew what parts were edible (most parts; you wanted to know that, didn’t you?). It might make you feel better to know that no one was killed on purpose so others could eat. When they were finally rescued and the story came out, they were condemned by some as cannibals. Fortunately, the Church and the legal authorities didn’t see it that way. Read the book “Alive!” by Piers Paul Reid.

Going back to the year 1643, a nomadic group of explorers named the “Rugby” tribe set out from the Canary Islands heading west. After 5 weeks at sea, they found an island with miniature wild rhinos (about the size of a dog). Restocked with food, they set out again. But the food stores became exhausted, and were forced to eat their own dead in order to reach home again. This is where the phrase comes from, “Tastes like chicken”. I really don’t know. I made all that up.

Dec 29,1972 members of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes admit at a press conference that they survived by Cannibalism,which in turned spawned a popular theme for a bumper stickers.

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The Cafeteria, just a short walk away. I LOVE their soup, so will eat there when serving this. I do bring my own lunch sometimes, which is easy while doing a working lunch. A lot of the time, I don’t even get a chance to think of it. BROWN BAGGING IS GREAT- if a Co-Worker decides to take it from me, as we seem to have a “Lunch Leach” where I work. They steal from the rest of us. Safe to not bring refrigerated/frozen products- Sad, huh?

Even though the plane crash thing is right, I still prefer to believe it is because the game was invented by a cannibalistic pygmy tribe. The used the heads for the ball back in the old days.

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Yes my husband and I brown bag our lunch. We are lucky because most of the places we work is right next to the ocean, so we have picnics.