Jonah Lomu

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Pukekohe to Tongan immigrants from Haʻapai, Lomu grew up between rural Tonga and South Auckland. Attending Wesley College, he excelled in athletics and both rugby codes before pursuing a professional career. He was 19 years and 45 days old when he played his first international in 1994, though he was not the youngest ever All Black—that record belongs to George Nēpia (18 years, 40 days) and others. He was acknowledged as the top player at the 1995 World Cup for his 4-try performance in the semi-final against England. He shares with South African Bryan Habana and New Zealander Julian Savea the Rugby World Cup all-time try scoring record of 15, which he accumulated in only two tournaments. At the height of his fame in the mid-1990s, Lomu became a globally recognised cultural icon of South Auckland and its Pasifika community. His performance at that Rugby World Cup and others that followed established him as "rugby union's biggest drawcard", just as the game turned fully professional, being a major audience pull in any match in which he appeared. He used his celebrity to support Pasifika community efforts and charities such as UNICEF, and often paid bills for his childhood friends in Māngere. Playing on the wing, Lomu finished his international career with 63 caps and 37 tries. Lomu was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007, and the IRB Hall of Fame on 24 October 2011. In 1995 he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a genetic kidney disorder. After a period of hiatus, he returned to play domestically rather than internationally. Lomu played for several domestic New Zealand provincial or Super Rugby sides, and late in his career played club rugby in both Wales and France. These included the Auckland Blues, with whom he won the inaugural 1996 Super 12 Final with, Chiefs and Hurricanes, and Counties Manukau, Wellington, and later North Harbour and the Cardiff Blues. His illness forced his retirement from professional rugby in 2007 at the age of 32. After returning from abroad, Lomu died unexpectedly on 18 November 2015 at home in Auckland.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Jonah Lomu's career arrived during the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. With just two caps, he was included in the squad and scored seven tries in five matches. The semi-final against England at Newlands remains legendary: after receiving a pass behind him, Lomu beat two defenders, stumbled, then ran straight over Mike Catt's head to score his first try of the game. This caused commentator Keith Quinn to gasp. He went on to score four tries total in that match. Afterward, England captain Will Carling famously declared, "He is a freak and the sooner he goes away the better." Lomu's performance was voted the try of the tournament by some and ranked 19th in the UK public's list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in 2002. Despite his heroics, New Zealand lost the final to South Africa 15–12 after a drop-goal in extra time.

Reader's Guide

At the age of 19 years and 45 days, Lomu became the youngest All Black test player as he debuted on the wing against France in 1994, breaking a record that had been held by Edgar Wrigley since 1905. The match was played at Lancaster Park in Christchurch, and the All Blacks lost 22–8. The second match was played at Eden Park in Auckland with France winning again, 23–20. Lomu marked Emile N'tamack and later said that his inexperience led to him being exposed by the French team.

Did You Know?

• Lomu was a Tongan speaker and spent some of his early childhood in Holopeka, a village on Lifuka in the Haʻapai islands.
• He first came to international attention at the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament.
• Lomu scored four tries in the 1995 World Cup semi-final against England, with his first try voted the try of the tournament.
• He was not part of the New Zealand Sevens squad that won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.