Jonah Lomu

Jonah Lomu was a powerful New Zealand winger who became rugby's first global superstar, terrorizing defenses at the 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cups.

Jonah Tali Lomu MNZM was born on 12 May 1975 in Pukekohe, Auckland, New Zealand, to parents who had emigrated from Tonga, and spent part of his childhood living with an aunt and uncle in Tonga. He attended Wesley College, where he was the school's top try scorer, before making history as the youngest-ever All Black, debuting at 19 years and 45 days old against France in 1994. Standing 1.96 metres tall and weighing 125 kilograms, with sprinting speed under 11 seconds for 100 metres, Lomu possessed a combination of size and pace never before seen on the international wing, and his performances at the 1995 World Cup — including four tries against England in the semi-final, the first time an All Black had achieved the feat since 1905 — transformed him into rugby's first genuine global superstar. Lomu scored 37 tries in 63 Tests for New Zealand and set a still-standing World Cup record of eight tries at the 1999 tournament, becoming the tournament's all-time leading scorer. Throughout his career, he battled nephrotic syndrome, a serious kidney disorder, receiving a transplant in 2004 that ultimately failed in 2011, requiring ongoing dialysis. Lomu was inducted into both the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007 and the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011. He died suddenly of a heart attack related to his kidney condition on 18 November 2015, at age 40, prompting tributes from Queen Elizabeth II and a haka performed by pupils of his boyhood primary school, and remains widely regarded as the player who first made rugby a truly global sport.

Lomu possessed a devastating combination of explosive pace and bulldozing power that was unprecedented for a winger. At over 120kg, he could run 100 meters in under 11 seconds, allowing him to either outrun defenders or simply run through them. His trademark was receiving the ball in wide positions and using his unique physical attributes to terrorize opposing defenses.

Lomu transformed rugby union from an amateur sport into a global spectacle, bringing unprecedented mainstream attention and commercial appeal to the game. He remains rugby's most recognizable figure and inspired a generation of athletes to pursue the sport.

• World Rugby Hall of Fame
• leading try-scorer in Rugby World Cup history at time of retirement
• youngest ever All Black test player

Club Career

Club	Period	Apps
Counties Manukau	1994–2002	—
Hurricanes	1996–2002	35
Cardiff Blues	2005–2006	10
North Harbour	2003–2004	—
New Zealand	—	63