Jonah Tali lomu was one of the finest rugby union players to have graced the game and a favourite son of New Zealand. He died unexpectedly overnight at the age of 40.
lomu played in 63 Tests for New Zealand after making his debut in 1994. He scored 37 tries, including one that arguably defined his career — a bullocking rampage through, not past, several England players at the 1995 World Cup. His effort was year voted the greatest in the Rugby World Cup history.
He was the youngest ever All Black when he played his first international game in 1994 at 19 years and 45 days. For his contribution to the sport, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007 and IRB Hall of Fame in 2011.
lomu’s addition to Rugby is not just in terms of drawing crowds to stadiums but also in impacting the sport’s style. Previously wingers used to be fast and good on their feet, but with lomu’s inclusion to the All Black’s left side, they found an imposing figure weighing 119kgs and 1.96m in height. His imposing structure made him the difference maker for other teams to face and a drawcard for the Kiwis.
The former All Blacks winger, who had an imposing physique and often brutal running game provoked in opponents equal amounts of admiration and fear, had suffered from health problems since calling time on his playing career in 2002 due to a rare kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome. He underwent a kidney transplant in 2004 and had been on dialysis treatment for the past 10 years. He made a comeback after undergoing the kidney transplant, finally retiring from professional rugby in 2007. Despite never winning the World Cup, he is the joint top try-scorer in its history — alongside South Africa winger Bryan Habana, scoring 15 tries in 11 games. His performances in major tournaments have been widely credited with helping attract the major commercial deals that enabled the sport to enter the professional era.
Rugby great lomu probably died from a blood clot that formed during a long-haul flight to New Zealand, according to one of his medics as it was linked to his pre-existing renal condition, while plans were unveiled to honour the legendary winger with a public memorial. During his funeral, Ex-All Black players paid tribute to him by performing an emotional Haka during the service.
Elevens were everywhere at Eden Park during his funeral service. On arrival at the stadium for a service to celebrate the life of Jonah lomu, the public were handed black paper flags with a silver fern on one side and the number 11 on the other. About 8,000 people crowded into the South Stand at New Zealand's most famous rugby ground to celebrate the life of the world's most famous rugby player.