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Jonah Lomu, a rugby 'freak' sadly cut short in his prime

The all Blacks legend passed away at the age of 40 over night.

JONAH LOMU, THE hulking New Zealand winger who died on Wednesday from kidney disease, dragged rugby union into the modern era with the same ferocity he used to trample opposing players.

Hailed as the sport’s first global superstar, he shot to international fame at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, a year after becoming the youngest ever All Black at the age of 19 years and 45 days.

At his peak, the 1.96 metre (six foot five inch) Lomu weighed 120 kilograms (265 pounds) and could cover 100 metres in 10.8 seconds, providing a combination of speed and power that terrorised opponents.

While New Zealand ultimately lost to hosts South Africa in the 1995 final, the tournament’s defining image was of Lomu trampling over a hapless Mike Catt on his way to four tries in the All Blacks’ semi-final win over England.

“He’s a freak, and the sooner he goes away the better,” dejected England captain Will Carling said after the match.

Lomu eventually scored 37 tries in 63 Tests between 1994 and 2002.

But shortly after his breakthrough 1995 tournament, he was diagnosed with the rare kidney disorder nephrotic syndrome, which eventually cut short his career.

The winger estimated that, even at his best, the condition left him playing at 80 percent capacity, feeling constantly drained and taking days to recover from training sessions.

After a health-related dip in form following the 1995 World Cup, he returned to his best at the 1999 edition, scoring eight tries to take his tally at the rugby showcase to 15.

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The record was only matched this year by South Africa’s Bryan Habana.

After 1999, Lomu never again hit the highs that turned him into one of the game’s biggest drawcards and his international career petered out in 2002, when he was just 27.

- ‘Drove a new era’ -

Lomu was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011, when the sport’s governing body said he had left an indelible mark on the World Cup.

That same year, Britain’s Sunday Times hailed him as the most influential player in rugby history, crediting him with boosting the game’s popularity as it made a difficult transition to professionalism after more than a century as an amateur code.

“It is said that one man never changes history, not even a man as remarkable as Lomu. But because of his magnificence and because of the time and the place, he drove rugby into a new era,” the newspaper said.

As his kidney condition continued to worsen, Lomu was warned in 2003 that complications including nerve damage could confine him to a wheelchair unless he had a transplant.

He later described the time as his darkest moment.

“I was this guy who’d been racing around down there on that field in 1999, running straight over people, scoring tries, winning games, having fun. And I ended up so sick that I couldn’t even run past a little baby,” he said in 2005.

In 2004, he received a kidney donated by friend and New Zealand radio broadcaster Grant Kereama and, while his health improved, attempted comebacks were repeatedly marred by injury.

- No regrets’ -

Lomu was born to Tongan parents in the gritty Auckland suburb of Mangere and said in the 2013 documentary “Anger Within” that he endured a tough childhood with an abusive father.

When he was 12, machete-wielding gang members hacked to death his uncle in a turf war, prompting his mother to enrol him for a rugby scholarship at a top school to give him an escape route.

Press Association / YouTube

He never looked back and was soon playing on representative teams.

Lomu divided his time between New Zealand and France in his latter years with his third wife Nadene, with whom he had two sons, Brayley and Dhyreille.

He returned to New Zealand in 2011 for the All Blacks’ successful World Cup campaign, starring at the tournament’s opening ceremony, but spent 16 days in hospital after a health scare linked to his kidney condition.

Doctors told him in February 2012 that his donated kidney had failed and he needed a new transplant.

Lomu said then that “everyone has to die sometime” and he had no regrets.

“I’m really lucky, I’ve already lived more in one lifetime than many would in six or seven lifetimes,” he said.

“For me, the important thing is to ask ‘can you look in the mirror and say you’ve done everything to enjoy life?’.”

© – AFP, 2015

New Zealand rugby legend Jonah Lomu has died, aged 40

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    Mute Stephen Drake
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    Mar 8th 2023, 9:43 PM

    Fantastic. What and ambassador for the sport and Ireland. One of the greats.

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    Mute Noel Lillis
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    Mar 8th 2023, 9:37 PM

    Well overdue for sure. Legend of a mam

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    Mute Barra Mac An Bhaird
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    Mar 8th 2023, 10:14 PM

    @Noel Lillis: International Women’s Day after all!

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    Mute Niall James Fergal McCormack
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    Mar 8th 2023, 9:44 PM

    A proper irish legend

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    Mute Brian Dunne
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    Mar 8th 2023, 10:28 PM

    Arguably irelands greatest ever sports star.

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    Mute Caomhín O’Catháin
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    Mar 8th 2023, 10:46 PM

    @Brian Dunne: That would be Rory and there’s no argument to be had!

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Mar 8th 2023, 11:22 PM

    @Caomhín O’Catháin: Are you the referee on the journal comments or what?

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    Mute maurolee
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    Mar 9th 2023, 4:10 AM

    @Brian Dunne: Except Rory’s not Irish!

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    Mute Phil Redmond
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    Mar 9th 2023, 6:25 AM

    @maurolee: Except for the part where he is

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    Mute John Harte
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    Mar 9th 2023, 6:46 AM

    I know Fred Daly had won an open championship before him but in the modern global television era of golf, Harrington’s achievement of winning the Open in 2007 was like Roger Bannister’s 4 minutes mile. Before this, nobody thought Irish people could win majors. He showed us that Irish people could not only take part, but could win at the highest level in golf and arguably sport in general. He opened up the floodgates for a generation of Irish golfers like McDowell, Clarke, McIlroy, Lowry and McGinley. Perhaps not the most naturally gifted golfer ever, Harrington had (and still has) an unbelievable work ethic and drive to be the best he could be. A wonderful ambassador for Ireland and a genuinely nice guy and a thoroughly well deserved award.

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    Mute Carm(Orange Vampire)
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    Mar 8th 2023, 11:24 PM

    Excellent news. Well deserved. I’m delighted for him.

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    Mute Francis Hoban
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    Mar 8th 2023, 11:19 PM

    Fair play paddy a legend

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    Mute Barry Buckley
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    Mar 9th 2023, 1:36 AM

    Well deserved, congratulations

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    Mute Sea-point Point
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    Mar 8th 2023, 10:43 PM

    Absolutely deserved, the epitome of graft over natural talent. Darren Clarke was his Irish peer who was born with serious natural talent, but not the hunger. Harrington is the triple Masters holder, while Clarke only really showed for two big buck events, to restock his Humidor and luxury car stockpile…

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    Mute for God sake.
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    Mar 8th 2023, 11:12 PM

    @Sea-point Point:
    Padraig never won the masters unless your including the par 3.

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    Mute Sea-point Point
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    Mar 8th 2023, 11:26 PM

    @for God sake.: typo, Majors of course. Three more than Mr Clarke. And then there are his achievements on the Senior PGA tour too…

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    Mute james comiskey
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    Mar 9th 2023, 12:04 AM

    @Sea-point Point: 2 more than Clarke

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    Mute Sea-point Point
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    Mar 9th 2023, 4:38 AM

    @james comiskey: true that, keep forgetting he won the Open at the tail end of his career….

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    Mute Damien Leen
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    Mar 9th 2023, 7:48 AM

    @Sea-point Point: give up…

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