Updated: Jun 4, 2021 2:00 pm
Jonah Lomu, (MNZM) was a New Zealand rugby union player. He had sixty-three caps as an All Black after debuting in 1994. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union, one of the sport’s most intimidating players on the field, he has had a huge impact on the game. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007.
Jonah Lomu – The Life of an All Blacks Legend:
Trivia about Lomu: Jonah turned down a multi-million dollar offer to play American football.
Jonah Lomu was a giant New Zealand rugby player regarded as one of the world’s best players ever. Bizarrely, Jonah plays as a winger – a position usually occupied by the lightest and smallest players. On his best form, it would be a gamble to try and take Lomu down, at best he could take 4 or more players down.
He was offered the role of the villain, Gabor, in the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough (1999), however, he declined in order to concentrate fully on his rugby career. The role was then given to former Gladiator John Seru (a.k.a. ‘Vulcan’).
Jonah has a wax likeness of himself at Madame Tussauds in London.
Has the number 11 – which is his famous playing number – tattooed on his muscular chest.
Has his own Playstation game – “Jonah Lomu’s Rugby”
The World’s Greatest:
Jonah Lomu burst onto the international rugby scene during the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament and was widely acknowledged to be the top player at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa even though New Zealand lost the championship game to the host Springboks.
At one time Lomu was considered ‘rugby union’s biggest draw card’, swelling attendances at any match where he appeared. He has played for several provincial teams, in the Super Rugby and NPC competitions.
A Tribute to Jonah Lomu:
These included the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes, and Counties Manukau, Wellington and later North Harbour. He made a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2004. In 1996 he married South African Tanya Rutter; they officially divorced in 2000. He married Fiona Taylor in 2003 and divorced her in 2008. He is officially the Rugby World Cup all-time top try scorer with 15 tries.
Jonah Lomu retired from rugby in 2007, but was persuaded to play in the Help For Heroes charity match at Twickenham a year later, although had to withdraw after injuring his ankle in training.
However, in June 2009, the BBC claimed he was close to joining French third division club Marseille Vitrolles and was expected to start in the first match of the new season. Jonah Lomu made his debut against Montmelian winning 64-13.
In 2011 Jonah Lomu participated in a charity boxing event in New Zealand, he was due to fight against rugby league player Month Betham. However, Jonah Lomu was unable to compete due problem with his kidney where he had been recent hospitalised
On the morning of 18th November 2015 Jonah Lomu – All Blacks Legend passed away suddenly after an unexpected heart attack which was linked to a history of kidney problems.
Jonah Lomu had just returned from the United Kingdom after receiving dialysis treatment while his was involved in working for ITV doing promotional work during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
