Jonah Lomu

Jonah Tali Lomu (12 May 1975 – 18 November 2015) was a New Zealand professional rugby union player. 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. Lomu is considered to have been the first true global superstar of rugby, and consequently had a huge impact on the game.

Standing 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) and weighing 125 kilograms (276 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. 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, 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 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. 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 bulldozed several players and ran straight over the top of full-back Mike Catt, establishing himself 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.

At the height of his fame in the mid-1990s, Lomu became a globally recognised cultural icon of South Auckland and its Pasifika 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, Don Bradman and Tiger Woods in their respective fields. He was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby, in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours. 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.

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 which 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, 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 death saw widespread tributes to him and his family, including condolences from Queen Elizabeth II and a haka performed by the pupils of his boyhood primary school. The New Zealand Parliament passed a national motion in honour of his life.

Early life and youth career

Lomu was born in Pukekohe, Auckland, on 12 May 1975 to Tongan parents who had emigrated from Holopeka, a village on Lifuka in the Haʻapai 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 Māngere 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 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. His introduction to rugby union came through a tournament in Te Kuiti where he stayed with Glyn Meads, son of 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 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 in 1994, breaking a record that had been held by Edgar Wrigley since 1905. The match was played at Lancaster Park in Christchurch, 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 later said 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 in Johannesburg, a try in the quarter final against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld, and four tries in the semi-final against England 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 caused one New Zealand commentator, Keith Quinn, to gasp.

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. New Zealand played the World Cup final at Ellis Park against South Africa. Neither side scored a try, with South Africa coming out on top 15–12 after kicking a drop-goal in extra time.

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 in Bologna. Lomu played against France in Toulouse, 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 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, 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 Old Trafford, as well as the test against Wales at Wembley Stadium, 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 Dunedin, but not in the second test won 40–10 by the All Blacks.