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Jonah Tali Lomu (12 May 1975 – 18 November 2015) was a New Zealand professional
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...
player. Lomu is considered to have been the first true global
superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...
of rugby, and consequently had a huge impact on the game. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players in the history of the sport, and as one of the most talented sportsmen in human history. Standing 6 foot 5 inches and weighing 119 kilograms, Lomu was famed for his unprecedented speed, strength and agility. Exceptionally large for a wing player, he is also known as the first winger to be a physical heavyweight. For his fast and effortless style of play, Lomu was once nicknamed the " freight train in ballet shoes", and was celebrated for his ability to shrug off tackles from multiple opponents at once. He became the youngest ever All Black when he played his first international in 1994 at the age of 19 years and 45 days. Playing on the
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...
, Lomu finished his international career with 63 caps and 37 tries. Lomu was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007, and the IRB Hall of Fame on 24 October 2011. Born in Pukekohe to Tongan immigrants from Ha'apai, Lomu grew up between rural Tonga and
Māngere Māngere () or Mangere is one of the largest suburbs in Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on mainly flat land on the northeastern shore of the Manukau Harbour, to the northwest of Manukau City Centre and 15 kilometres south ...
,
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
. His childhood in Auckland was marked by local gang violence, and his mother nurtured his interest in sport. Attending Wesley College, he excelled in athletics and both rugby codes before pursuing a professional career. He burst onto the international rugby scene during the 1994
Hong Kong Sevens The Hong Kong Sevens () is an rugby sevens tournament held annually in Hong Kong on a weekend in late March or early April. Considered the premier tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series competition, the Hong Kong Sevens is currently the ...
tournament, the same year he made his fifteen-a-side debut. He was acknowledged as the top player at the 1995 World Cup for his acclaimed 4-try performance in the semi-final against England, even though New Zealand lost the final to the host
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
. In the semi-final he famously bulldozed several players and ran straight over the top of full-back Mike Catt, establishing him as one of the most talented young players of his generation. He shares with South African Bryan Habana the
Rugby World Cup The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb ...
all-time try scoring record of 15, which he accumulated in only two tournaments. At the height of his fame in the mid-1990s, Lomu became a globally recognised
cultural icon A cultural icon is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic s ...
of
South Auckland South Auckland is an imprecisely defined urban area of Auckland, New Zealand, with a young population, a relatively large Polynesian and Māori demographic, and lower incomes than other parts of Auckland. The name ''South Auckland'', though not ...
and its
Pasifika Pasifika may refer to: *Pacific Islander people, indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands **Pasifika New Zealanders, Pacific peoples living in New Zealand *Pacific islands, including Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia *The Pasifika Festival, an an ...
community. His performance at that Rugby World Cup and others that followed established him as "rugby union's biggest drawcard", just as the game turned fully professional, with him swelling attendances at any match where he appeared. Lomu's innovative position as a physically large winger was highly influential; for his impact on the gameplay of rugby union itself, he has been compared with
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...
,
Don Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test cricket, Test batting average (c ...
and
Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. * * * Woods is widely regarded as ...
in their respective fields. He was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby, in the
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. Lomu was known for his humility, gentle nature, and passion. He used his celebrity to support Pasifika community efforts and charities such as
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...
, and often paid bills for his childhood friends in Māngere. In 1995 he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious genetic
kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; bloo ...
disorder, and the disease had a significant impact on his playing career and wider life. By 2003 he was on dialysis, and in 2004 underwent a
kidney transplant Kidney transplant or renal transplant is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). Kidney transplant is typically classified as deceased-donor (formerly known as cadaveric) or li ...
that saved his life. He turned his energy to being a Kidney Kids NZ ambassador, encouraging children with similar afflictions to seek treatment. After a period of hiatus, he returned to play domestically rather than internationally. Lomu played for several domestic New Zealand provincial or Super Rugby sides, and late in his career played club rugby in both Wales and France. These included the Auckland Blues, Chiefs and
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, and Counties Manukau,
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by m ...
, and later North Harbour and the Cardiff Blues. His illness forced his retirement from professional rugby in 2007 at the age of 32. After returning from abroad, Lomu died unexpectedly on 18 November 2015 at home in Auckland. The cause was a heart attack associated with his kidney condition. His passing saw widespread tributes to him and his family, from
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
to a haka performed by the pupils of his boyhood primary school. The
New Zealand Parliament The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the Monarchy of New Zealand, King of New Zealand (King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is u ...
passed a national motion in honour of his life.


Early life and youth career

Lomu was born in Pukekohe,
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
on 12 May 1975 to
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
n parents, who had emigrated from Holopeka, a village on Lifuka in the Ha’apai Islands. Lomu was a Tongan speaker; he spent some of his early childhood in Holopeka with his aunt Longo and uncle Mosese, where he spoke the language to fluency. He then moved back to Auckland suburb of Mangere to be educated, where he spent the rest of his childhood with his parents and siblings. There, he was exposed to nearby gang violence, and lost an uncle and a cousin to attacks. This led his mother to send him to Wesley College in Auckland. At high school, Lomu excelled in athletics, in particular, the 100 metres, shot put, javelin, high jump, hurdles and relay. In his final year, he ran the 100 mts in 11.2 seconds. By 1993, during his last year at Wesley, he started playing rugby more seriously, while still combining it with athletics. New Zealand sevens star Eric Rush played a
touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch ( haptic perception), as well as temperature ( thermoception), body position ( proprioception), and pain. It ...
game with Lomu when he was 14 years old and was so impressed he invited him to a sevens tournament in Singapore the next day. As a youngster however, Lomu first played
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
. His introduction to
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...
came through a tournament in Te Kuiti where he stayed with Glyn Meads, son of famous All Black Colin Meads. Lomu started his rugby union career in the forwards, mostly as an openside flanker (no.7), sometimes to the blindside (no.6), before switching to the left wing in what he described as the "best move he could have made". He represented New Zealand in the national under-19 side in 1993, as well as the under-21 side the following year. He first came to international attention at the 1994
Hong Kong Sevens The Hong Kong Sevens () is an rugby sevens tournament held annually in Hong Kong on a weekend in late March or early April. Considered the premier tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series competition, the Hong Kong Sevens is currently the ...
tournament as part of a team including Rush. At the age of 19 years and 45 days, Lomu became the youngest All Black test player as he debuted on the wing against
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
in 1994, breaking a record that had been held by Edgar Wrigley since 1905. The match was played at Lancaster Park in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
, and the All Blacks lost 22–8. The second match was played at Eden Park in Auckland with France winning again, 23–20. Lomu marked Emile N'tamack and admits that his inexperience led to him being exposed by the French team.


1995 World Cup

Despite having just two All Black caps, Lomu was included in the squad for the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. Lomu scored seven tries in five matches, two in the first match against
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in
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, a try in the quarter final against
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
at Loftus Versfeld, and four tries in the semi-final against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
at Newlands. The first try in the English match occurred after Lomu received a pass behind him, beat two defenders and then, after a stumble, ran straight over the top of Mike Catt. This reduced one New Zealand commentator, Keith Quinn, to gasps. After the game, England captain Will Carling said: "He is a freak and the sooner he goes away the better". His first score was voted the try of the tournament. In 2002 the UK public voted Lomu's performance no. 19 in the list of the
100 Greatest Sporting Moments ''100 Greatest'' is a long-running TV strand on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom that has been broadcasting from 11 September 1999 to 10 October 2015, originating in Tyne Tees Television’s Factual Features department under Executive Producer Ma ...
. New Zealand played the World Cup final at Ellis Park against
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
. Neither side scored a try, with South Africa coming out on top 15–12 after kicking a drop-goal in
extra time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only ...
.


1996–1998

Following the World Cup New Zealand played Australia home and away for the Bledisloe Cup with Lomu scoring tries in both matches. He scored two tries in the All Blacks victory over
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in
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. Lomu played against France in
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, where New Zealand failed to score any tries. He scored a try in the second test in Paris, helping his team to victory. Lomu played for the All Blacks in matches against the touring
Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
and Scotland teams in June 1996, scoring in one of the Scottish matches. Just before the World Cup final a deal was struck between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia ( SANZAR) to create the Tri-Nations, an annual round robin competition between the three nations launched with the advent of professionalism in rugby. New Zealand won all their games to become the first Tri-Nations winners. Lomu scored a try in a 43–6 victory over Australia in the inaugural match, which has been described by New Zealand Herald journalist David Leggat as "the perfect wet-weather game". At the end of 1996, Lomu was diagnosed with a rare and serious kidney disorder, which saw him take time off from the sport. As a result, he did not play in the
1997 Tri Nations Series The 1997 Tri Nations Series was contested from 19 July to 23 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The All Blacks continued their unbeaten record to win their second tournament. New Zealand won t ...
, but he was included in the All Blacks tour of the northern hemisphere at the end of the year. Lomu played in the two warm up matches, scoring tries against Wales 'A' and Emerging England. He played the first test against England at
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, as well as the test against Wales at
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, and the second match against England—he did not score in any of the three games. At the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, he won a gold medal representing New Zealand in the Sevens Rugby event. The English rugby team came to New Zealand the following year for a two test series. Lomu played in both of the matches, scoring in the first, which was a 64–22 win in
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, but not in the second test won 40–10 by the All Blacks.


1999 and the World Cup

Lomu's 1999 international season kicked off with a warm-up match against New Zealand A, which was followed by a game against Samoa in which Lomu scored one of the All Blacks' nine tries. He came on as a replacement in every game of the
1999 Tri Nations Series The 1999 Tri Nations Series was the fourth Tri Nations Series, a rugby union tournament contested by the men's national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It was contested from 10 July to 28 August 1999. New Zealand won the title, ...
with Christian Cullen and Tana Umaga preferred as starters on the wings. New Zealand were crowned Tri Nations champions despite losing the last game against Australia. Lomu scored eight tries at the 1999 World Cup. In pool matches he scored two tries against
Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
, one against England and two against Italy. The All Blacks finished top of their pool and proceeded to the quarter-finals. They defeated Scotland, with Lomu scoring one of New Zealand's four tries. Lomu scored twice in the semi-final match against France, though it was not enough to see them through to the final as France went on to win 43–31. Following the World Cup, despite speculation that he would be moving to play
American Football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
in the
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or stay to play rugby in the English Premiership, Lomu returned to New Zealand.


End of international career

Lomu started 2000 with big victories over Tonga and Scotland. The opening match of the
2000 Tri Nations Series The 2000 Tri Nations Series was the fifth Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition contested by the national rugby union teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It was played from 15 July to 26 August 2000. Australia won th ...
was played in front of a record crowd of 109,874 and has been labelled the "match of the century'.' New Zealand scored three tries in the first five minutes to lead by 21 points, before Australia came back, leveling the scores before half time. With minutes remaining, the Wallabies led 35 to 34; until Lomu "brushed past a desperate Stephen Larkham to tip-toe down the line and score the winning try". The match was followed by a victory over South Africa, and then a re-match with Australia, which Australia won 24 to 23. New Zealand lost the final game to South Africa finishing second in the table, behind Australia. Lomu played in one other test that year; against France at
Stade de France The Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the sixth-largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is used by the France national foot ...
in November, which the All Blacks won 39 to 26. Lomu was part of the New Zealand Sevens team that won the 2001 Sevens World Cup, filling in for Rush, who suffered a broken leg during the competition. In the lead up to the
2001 Tri Nations Series The 2001 Tri Nations Series was contested from 21 July to 1 September between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The Wallabies won another thrilling game at Stadium Australia in Sydney with number eight Tout ...
, the All Blacks played
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...
and France at home, Lomu scoring a try in the French match. After a try-less opening victory against South Africa Lomu played his 50th test for the All Blacks at the Carisbrook 'House of Pain', scoring a try in the second minute of play. The Wallabies spoiled the party however, winning 23 to 15. This was followed by a win over South Africa, and loss to the Wallabies at
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. During the 1999 off season, Lomu transferred to Wellington, signing up with second division club Wainuiomata RFC. Lomu played his debut match against Northern United scoring twice and attracting a bumper crowd and followed that up with a further appearance in 2001. Lomu wore the green and black club socks when he played for the
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in 2000. At the end of the year, the All Blacks played Ireland at Lansdowne Road in Dublin. Lomu was a central figure in the 40 to 29 win, setting up Aaron Mauger for his debut try, and taking an inside pass to blast through for one of his own. The All Blacks end of season tour continued at
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in Edinburgh, where they defeated Scotland 37 to six, with Lomu contributing one try. In the final match of the tour, the All Blacks played Argentina at the River Plate Stadium. Lomu put the All Blacks in front with a try after Argentina took an early lead. New Zealand won the match by a score of 24 to 20. In his first test of 2002, he came off the bench in the second half to score a try in a match against Italy. He was again injected into play from the bench in the first of a two test series against Ireland in New Zealand; helping New Zealand to an uninspiring win. Lomu was back starting on the left wing for the second test against the Irish, which New Zealand won 40–8. Lomu did not score in the subsequent match against Fiji; in performance that was labelled "disappointing" by Matthew Cooper after he was beaten on the outside for Fiji's first try. Lomu came off the bench in the All Blacks first game of the
2002 Tri Nations Series The 2002 Tri Nations Series was contested from 13 July to 17 August between the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa national rugby union teams. The All Blacks won the tournament. South Africa won their first Mandela Challenge Plate in a one- ...
against South Africa, though he did not play in the rest of the tournament. He returned to the wing for a game against England in November 2002. Lomu ended up scoring two tries, though it was not enough to secure a New Zealand victory, with England winning 31–28. The subsequent match against France resulted in a draw, the first between the two nations in 96 years. The last match of the end of season tour was against Wales, which the All Blacks won 43–17. These were the last international matches that Lomu would play for New Zealand as his illness worsened and he needed a kidney transplant.


Comeback

Lomu returned to professional rugby in 2005. He first needed special clearance from the World Anti-Doping Agency, as one of the anti-rejection drugs he was required to take is on the WADA list of banned substances. On 8 April 2005, he signed a two-year contract to play for the New Zealand first division provincial team North Harbour in the NPC. He ended up missing the first season when he injured his shoulder scoring a try in a preseason
testimonial match A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, particularly in association football in the United Kingdom and South America, where a club has a match to honour a player for servic ...
against Martin Johnson's invitational XV. Instead he worked in a coaching capacity. North Harbour gave him permission to play overseas at the Cardiff Blues over the off season. Lomu made his first appearance in a competitive match since his transplant on 10 December 2005, with a 60-minute effort in Cardiff's away Heineken Cup fixture against Italian club Calvisano. Lomu scored his first try for Cardiff on 27 December, with a man-of-the-match performance during a 41–23 win against the Newport Gwent Dragons. He spent the early part of 2006 sidelined while he concentrated on gaining speed and strength not playing again until April. He broke his ankle near the end of his first game back, ending his season with Cardiff. During his time in Wales, he played 10 games and scored one try. He returned to North Harbour for the 2006 NPC season, playing for Massey against Marist in the North Harbour club competition. For Lomu it was "a small step" towards his aim of reclaiming his All Blacks jersey for the 2007 World Cup. Lomu played for North Harbour in round four of the National Provincial Championship against Wellington winning 31–16. Lomu said after the match "For me it's a dream come true... I've always said this is my goal—to come back and play in New Zealand." Lomu failed to get a Super Rugby contract, effectively dashing any hopes of making the World Cup squad. Lomu stated that he was disappointed by his failure to gain a Super 14 contract, but that he had not failed himself. Lomu was offered a contract with the
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, a new
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
franchise in the
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competition, but turned it down as it would have been difficult to reconcile his sponsorship contracts with companies associated with rugby union.


Retirement

Lomu retired from professional rugby in 2007, but still took part in some charity matches. He was going to play in the Help For Heroes charity match at
Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the borou ...
in 2008, but had to withdraw after injuring his ankle in training. Later that year Lomu played in a charity match at Aberavon RFC's Talbot Athletic grounds to raise money for a local children's charity. The match was covered by the BBC rugby show ''
Scrum V ''Scrum V'' (pronounced ''Scrum Five'') is the brand used by BBC Cymru Wales for its rugby union programming. The brand extends to BBC Wales' live coverage, ''Scrum V Live'', highlights and discussion programmes, radio discussion and website. T ...
''. In September 2009, Lomu took part in an amateur bodybuilding contest, finishing second in two categories, including the men's open over-90 kg, and the mixed pairs. He joined French Fédérale 1 team Marseille Vitrolles in November, making his debut in a 64–13 victory over against Montmelian. Lomu started the match at centre then moved to number 8, the position he played as a youngster in New Zealand. Lomu also made an attempt to take part in a charity boxing event in New Zealand called "Fight for Life" 2011, for which he was the intended captain of the rugby union team. It was his intention to fight the main event against former league player Monty Betham. On 14 November Lomu pulled out of the competition as he had just recently been hospitalised for over a week due to his failing kidney.


Statistics


International tries

Lomu scored tries against every major test playing nation in World Rugby except South Africa (12 matches) and Wales (3 matches). In his career, Lomu scored eight tries against England—more than any other All Black. Lomu set a record of 15 tries in World Cup tournaments, which was equalled by South African Bryan Habana in
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.


International analysis by opposition


Playing style

Lomu had a unique combination of power, size and speed that made him devastating with the ball in hand. He weighed 120 kg and was 1.96 metres tall, but could run 100 metres in 10.8 seconds. He ran with a low centre of gravity and was the best exponent at bumping off attempted tackles in the game. He also had a powerful fend and subtle body swerve. He generally stayed out on his wing, but would occasionally replace Zinzan Brooke at the back of the scrum if the All Blacks wanted more power. Lomu was famously described as the " freight train in ballet shoes" by Australian rugby journalist Peter FitzSimons, who elaborated: "other players could go through players, other players could go around player... Lomu could do it all.”


Personal life

In 1996, Lomu married South African Tanya Rutter and they lived together in New Zealand for four years before divorcing, of which his family never approved. He married his second wife Fiona in a secret ceremony on Waiheke Island in August 2003, holding a party on the island a week later. In 2008, Lomu and Fiona divorced after he had an affair with Nadene Quirk. Lomu and Nadene later married in 2011 and at the time of his death he was living with Nadene and their children, Brayley and Dhyreille. Lomu was a linguaphile; in addition to English and his parents' Tongan, he learnt to speak
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, Spanish,
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
,
Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...
and parts of Russian. Lomu was a member of the Champions for Peace club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organisation. In 2012, Lomu and Nadene became members of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...
. In 1996,
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold ...
New Zealand named a burger after Lomu, temporarily rebranding the McFeast burger line (called "Mega Feast" in New Zealand) as the "Jonah Burger". On 9 April 2007, Lomu appeared on New Zealand's version of ''
This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...
'', in which he was reunited with long time friend Grant Kereama, who had donated a kidney to Lomu when he underwent a kidney transplant in July 2004. He was a subject of the British version of ''
This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...
'' in 2002 when he was surprised by
Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television newsreader and host of programmes such as '' Crackerjack'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', ''This is Your Life'', '' Strange but True?'' and '' Antiques R ...
while touring with the All Blacks in Edinburgh.


Financial troubles

Despite making millions during his rugby career, Lomu died with few assets to his name and very little savings. It is believed his earnings were absorbed by his divorces, medical bills related to his kidney disease, and failed business ventures. Lomu was the director and a shareholder in Global 11 Travel, which was liquidated in 1999. At the time of his death, he owed money on property investments, as well as loans taken out to buy personal vehicles. His family were living in a rented $2.2 million (NZD) Auckland home. Lomu had sold some of his properties a decade prior, including his Maupuia mansion bought in 2000, which sold three years later for a reported $1.4 million (NZD).


Health issues

At the end of 1995, Lomu was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious
kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; bloo ...
disorder. His rugby union career went on hold whilst the disorder was treated. In May 2003, the
NZRFU New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is the governing body of rugby union in New Zealand. It was founded in 1892 as the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), 12 years after the first provincial unions in New Zealand. In 1949 it became an affiliate to t ...
announced that Lomu had been put on
dialysis Dialysis may refer to: *Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric pote ...
three times a week due to deterioration in his kidney function. Side effects of Lomu's dialysis treatment led to severe nerve damage in his feet and legs; his doctors warned him that he faced life in a wheelchair if a kidney transplant was not performed soon. Lomu underwent a kidney transplant on 28 July 2004 in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
, New Zealand. The kidney was donated by
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by m ...
radio presenter Grant Kereama.


Death

On the morning of 18 November 2015, Lomu died unexpectedly in Auckland from a heart attack linked to his kidney disease. The previous night he had returned from the United Kingdom with his family after a short holiday stay in
Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics ...
. Lomu had been receiving dialysis treatments during his visit to the UK where he was involved in heavy promotional work during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. His first public
service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a pu ...
was held in his home church in Mangere, Auckland, with Lomu's family members in attendance. Two public services were held at
Vodafone Events Centre Due Drop Events Centre (previously known as the Vodafone Events Centre and TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre) is a multi-purpose event centre located in Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand (suburb of the former Manukau City), with an indoor aren ...
in Manukau on 28 November 2015, and at Eden Park on 30 November 2015, a day before a private service. His passing saw widespread tributes to him and his family, from
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
to a haka performed by the pupils of his boyhood primary school. The
New Zealand Parliament The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the Monarchy of New Zealand, King of New Zealand (King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is u ...
passed a national motion in honour of his life. A month after his death, an independent trust known as the Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust was formed by the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association, intended to help support his sons.


Legacy

Lomu has been described as one of the greatest athletes not just in the game of rugby, but in sporting history altogether. He has been widely described as the first true global superstar of rugby union and as having a huge impact on the game, with comparisons being drawn with
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...
,
Don Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test cricket, Test batting average (c ...
and
Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. * * * Woods is widely regarded as ...
. On his game-changing ability, fellow rugby player Kenny Logan stated, "you could talk about
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
or
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
, that’s what Jonah was, someone who could change games if you gave him the ball wherever he was". At one time Lomu was considered 'rugby union's biggest drawcard', as his appearance at a match would increase attendance. Before 1995, wingers were generally fast and good on their feet. Lomu was the first truly massive wing, a trend that has now become standard in many teams. Following his displays at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, in December 1995 Lomu received the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, an award given to a non-British sportsperson considered to have made the most substantial contribution to a sport each year who has also captured the imagination of the British public. Lomu was also noted for his charity; as a celebrity, he supported Pasifika community efforts and charities such as
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...
and Kidney Kids NZ. Lomu was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007, and the IRB Hall of Fame on 24 October 2011. He was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby, in the
2007 Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours 2007 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 17 June 2007, to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2007.Antigua & Barbuda list: The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and a ...
. Lomu lent his name to various video games including '' Jonah Lomu Rugby'' and '' Rugby Challenge''. He is portrayed by
Isaac Fe'aunati Isaac "Zak" Fe'aunati (born 23 July 1973) is a former rugby union player for Bath Rugby in Premiership Rugby. Fe'aunati's played as a number eight. Career Fe'aunati was born in Wellington, New Zealand. In September 1995 he joined Melrose, debut ...
in ''Invictus'', a film chronicling
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...
's journey with the South African rugby team in the 1995 World Cup. In March 2018, Jonah Lomu Drive, in the Paerata Rise development north of Pukekohe, was named in his honour. On 16 November 2018, an exhibition rugby match was held at
Aberavon Quins RFC Aberavon Harlequins RFC (nicknamed "The Mighty Quins") is a Welsh rugby union team located in the Fairfield area of Port Talbot, a few minutes away from the town centre and Aberavon. In 1955, the team gained membership of the Welsh Rugby Union ( ...
to raise funds for the Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust. The game was organised by a local rugby fanatic, Stuart Broad, as a means to thank Jonah for having turned out to play for Aberavon Naval RFC 10 years previously. The event included players from all over Wales, as well as a Welsh male voice choir, a female vocalist, a brass band, Maori war dancers and a fireworks display. It raised £3,500 in aid of the trust set up for Jonah's two sons.


References


Further reading

* Phil Shirley. ''Blood & Thunder The unofficial biography of Jonah Lomu''. Harper Collins Publishers, London, * Lomu, Jonah, (2004). ''Jonah Lomu Autobiography'', Headline Book Pub Ltd, ()


External links


Official website
*
Jonah Lomu , Rugby Database Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lomu, Jonah 1975 births 2015 deaths New Zealand international rugby union players New Zealand rugby union players Chiefs (rugby union) players Blues (Super Rugby) players Hurricanes (rugby union) players Barbarian F.C. players Rugby union wings New Zealand people of Tongan descent Kidney transplant recipients World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees Cardiff Rugby players North Harbour rugby union players Commonwealth Games gold medallists for New Zealand People educated at Wesley College, Auckland Rugby sevens players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Wellington rugby union players Converts to Mormonism New Zealand Latter Day Saints New Zealand expatriate rugby union players Expatriate rugby union players in France Expatriate rugby union players in Wales New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Wales New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in France Counties Manukau rugby union players New Zealand international rugby sevens players New Zealand male rugby sevens players Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Commonwealth Games rugby sevens players of New Zealand Commonwealth Games medallists in rugby sevens BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year winners