The fall of a rugby giant
Jonah Lomu underwent a kidney transplant in 2004 and had been on dialysis treatment for the past 10 years.
NEW Zealand rugby legend Jonah Lomu died unexpectedly at the age of 40 after arriving back in Auckland from overseas on Tuesday.
The former All Blacks winger, whose imposing physique provoked in opponents equal amounts of admiration and fear, had suffered from health problems since calling time on his playing career in 2002 owing 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.
Rugby supporters the world over will remember the four tries Lomu scored against England in the 1995 World Cup, the one try voted as the best try in World Cup history.
Incidentally, South Africa was the only team against which Lomu could never score a try.
Lomu attended the recent Rugby World Cup in the UK where he had undertaken some promotional work for a tournament sponsor.
Born in Auckland, he spent his early years in Tonga.
The gentle giant’s tough upbringing in south Auckland nearly led him down a different path, but his determination made him a role model and inspiration to many young boys and girls of Pacific Island heritage who faced similar challenges at an early age.
He had also been an ambassador for Unicef New Zealand since 2011, and a patron of the charity Kidney Kids NZ.
The death of the rugby icon prompted outpourings of grief on social media.
Reaction to his sudden death was overwhelming.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key was among those to express his condolences.
Lomu played in 63 Tests for New Zealand after making his debut in 1994, scoring 37 tries.
Lomu made his All Blacks debut at 19 years and 45 days against France in Christchurch in 1994, breaking a record that had stood for 90 years to become New Zealand’s youngest Test player.
He was taken to the World Cup a year later as something of a wildcard pick by coach Laurie Mains.
Lomu scored seven tries in total – four during that semi-final win over England – as the All Blacks reached the final, where they eventually succumbed to the host nation, South Africa.
