Jonah Lomu

Jonah Lomu

MNZM

Lomu in 2004
Birth name	Jonah Tali Lomu
Date of birth	(1975-05-12)12 May 1975
Place of birth	Pukekohe, Auckland, New Zealand
Date of death	18 November 2015(2015-11-18) (aged 40)
Place of death	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	120 kg (265 lb; 18 st 13 lb)
School	Wesley College
Notable relative(s)	John Tamanika (cousin) Seti Kiole (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Number 8 Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1994–1999 Counties Manukau 28 (95) 1996–1998 Blues 22 (65) 1999 Chiefs 8 (10) 2000–2003 Hurricanes 29 (55) 2000–2003 Wellington 21 (65) 2005–2006 Cardiff Blues 10 (5) 2006 North Harbour 4 (0) 2009–2010 Marseille Vitrolles 7 (0) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1994 New Zealand U21 3 (25) 1994–2002 New Zealand 73 (215) 1996 New Zealand Barbarians 2 (0) 1998–1999 New Zealand A 3 (15) 2000–2002 Barbarian F.C. 4 (25) National sevens team Years Team Comps 1994–2001 New Zealand
Medal record Men's rugby sevens Representing  New Zealand Commonwealth Games 1998 Kuala Lumpur Team Rugby World Cup Sevens 2001 Argentina Team Men's Rugby union Rugby World Cup 1995 South Africa Squad

Jonah Tali Lomu MNZM (12 May 1975 – 18 November 2015) was a New Zealand professional rugby union player.^[1] Lomu is considered to have been the first true global superstar of rugby, and consequently had a huge impact on the game.^[2][3] 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 ever.^[4][5][6]

Standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighing 119 kilograms (262 lb), 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.^[7] He became the youngest ever All Black when he played his first international in 1994 at the age of 19 years and 45 days.^[8] Playing on the wing, 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,^[9] and the IRB Hall of Fame on 24 October 2011.^[10]

Born in Pukekohe to Tongan immigrants from Haʻapai, Lomu grew up between rural Tonga and South Auckland. His childhood in Auckland was marked by local gang violence, and his mother nurtured his interest in sport.^[11] 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 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. 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 all-time try scoring record of 15, which he accumulated in only two tournaments.^[12]

At the height of his fame in the mid-1990s, Lomu became a globally recognised cultural icon of South Auckland and its Pasifika community.^[13][14] 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,^[15] 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, Don Bradman and Tiger Woods in their respective fields.^[16] He was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby, in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours.^[17][18] Lomu was known for his humility, gentle nature, and passion. He used his celebrity to support Pasifika community efforts and charities such as UNICEF, and often paid bills for his childhood friends in Māngere.^[19][20][21]

In 1995 he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious genetic kidney 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 that saved his life. He turned his energy to being a Kidney Kids NZ ambassador, encouraging children with similar afflictions to seek treatment.^[20] 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, with whom he won the inaugural 1996 Super 12 Final with, Chiefs and Hurricanes, and Counties Manukau, Wellington, 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 to a haka performed by the pupils of his boyhood primary school.^[21] The New Zealand Parliament passed a national motion in honour of his life.^[22]