Jonah Lomu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jonah Lomu

Lomu in 2004
Birth name	Jonah Tali Lomu
Date of birth	(1975-05-12)12 May 1975
Place of birth	Pukekohe, Auckland, New Zealand
Date of death	18 November 2015(2015-11-18) (aged 40)
Place of death	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	120 kg (265 lb; 18 st 13 lb)
School	Wesley College
Notable relative(s)	John Tamanika (cousin) Seti Kiole (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Winger All Black No. 941 Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1994–1999 Counties Manukau 28 (95) 1996–1998 Blues 22 (65) 1999 Chiefs 8 (10) 2000–2003 Hurricanes 29 (55) 2000–2003 Wellington 21 (65) 2005–2006 Cardiff Blues 10 (5) 2006 North Harbour 4 (0) 2009–2010 Marseille Vitrolles 7 (0) National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1994 New Zealand U21 3 (25) 1994–2002 New Zealand 73 (215) 1996 New Zealand Barbarians 2 (0) 1998–1999 New Zealand A 3 (15) 2000–2002 Barbarian F.C. 4 (25) National sevens team(s) Years Team Comps 1994–2001 New Zealand N/A

Jonah Tali Lomu (12 May 1975 – 18 November 2015) was a famous rugby union player from New Zealand. Many people see him as the first true global superstar of rugby. He had a huge impact on the game. He is known as one of the greatest and most important players in the sport's history.

Lomu was 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 119 kilograms. He was famous for his amazing speed, strength, and quickness. He was very large for a wing player. He was also the first winger to be such a strong, physical player. People called him the "freight train in ballet shoes" because of his fast and smooth style. He was great at breaking away from many opponents at once.

He became the youngest ever All Black player. He played his first international game in 1994 when he was just 19 years old. Lomu played on the wing and scored 37 tries in 63 international games. He was added to the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007. He also joined the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011.

Jonah Lomu was born in Pukekohe. His parents were from Tonga. He grew up in Tonga and Māngere, Auckland. His childhood in Auckland was tough, with local gang violence. His mother encouraged him to play sports. He went to Wesley College and was excellent in athletics and both types of rugby.

He became well-known in international rugby at the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament. He also made his first 15-a-side game that year. He was seen as the best player at the 1995 World Cup. This was because he scored 4 amazing tries in the semi-final against England. Even though New Zealand lost the final to South Africa, his performance was unforgettable. In that semi-final, he famously ran over several players, including Mike Catt. This made him one of the most talented young players of his time. He shares the Rugby World Cup record for most tries (15) with South Africa's Bryan Habana. Lomu scored all his tries in only two World Cup tournaments.

At the peak of his fame in the mid-1990s, Lomu became a global cultural icon. He represented South Auckland and its Pasifika community. His playing made him "rugby union's biggest drawcard." This happened just as the game became fully professional. His presence at any match brought in huge crowds. Lomu's new way of playing as a big, strong winger was very important. His impact on rugby union is compared to Muhammad Ali, Don Bradman, and Tiger Woods in their sports.

He was given the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit award in 2007 for his services to rugby. Lomu was known for being humble, kind, and passionate. He used his fame to help Pasifika communities and charities like UNICEF. He often helped his childhood friends in Māngere with their bills.

In 1995, he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. This is a serious genetic kidney problem. This disease greatly affected his playing career and his life. By 2003, he needed dialysis. In 2004, he had a kidney transplant that saved his life. He then became an ambassador for Kidney Kids NZ. He encouraged children with similar health problems to get treatment.

After a break, he returned to play rugby in New Zealand, but not internationally. Lomu played for several New Zealand teams, like the Auckland Blues and Hurricanes. He also played club rugby in Wales and France later in his career. His illness forced him to stop playing professional rugby in 2007 when he was 32.

Lomu died unexpectedly on 18 November 2015 at his home in Auckland. He had a heart attack related to his kidney condition. Many people paid tribute to him and his family. These included Queen Elizabeth II and a haka performed by students from his old primary school. The New Zealand Parliament also honored his life.

Early Life and Rugby Start

The Ha'apai Islands in Tonga, where Lomu's parents came from. He spent parts of his childhood here.

Jonah Lomu was born in Pukekohe, Auckland, on 12 May 1975. His parents were from the Ha'apai Islands in Tonga. Lomu spoke Tongan fluently. He spent some of his early childhood in Holopeka with his aunt and uncle.

He then moved back to Mangere, Auckland, for school. There, he saw a lot of gang violence. He lost an uncle and a cousin to attacks. Because of this, his mother sent him to Wesley College. At high school, Lomu was excellent in athletics. He was good at the 100 metres, shot put, javelin, high jump, hurdles, and relay races. In his last year, he ran the 100 metres in just 11.2 seconds. By 1993, he started playing rugby more seriously, along with athletics.

When Lomu was 14, New Zealand sevens star Eric Rush played a game with him. Rush was so impressed that he invited Lomu to a sevens tournament in Singapore. As a young boy, Lomu first played rugby league. He started playing rugby union at a tournament in Te Kuiti.

Lomu began his rugby union career playing in the forwards. He was mostly an openside flanker. He sometimes played blindside flanker. Later, he switched to the left wing. He said this was the "best move he could have made." He played for New Zealand's under-19 team in 1993. The next year, he played for the under-21 team. He first became known internationally at the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament.

At 19 years and 45 days old, Lomu became the youngest All Black test player. He made his debut on the wing against France in 1994. This broke a record that had stood since 1905. The All Blacks lost both matches against France. Lomu later said his lack of experience showed in those games.

1995 Rugby World Cup

Even though he had only played two games for the All Blacks, Lomu was chosen for the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Lomu scored seven tries in five matches. He scored two tries against Ireland. He scored one try against Scotland in the quarter-final.

He scored four tries in the semi-final against England. The first try in the England match was amazing. Lomu got the ball behind him, beat two defenders, and then ran straight over Mike Catt. A New Zealand commentator, Keith Quinn, was left speechless.

After the game, England captain Will Carling said: "He is a freak and the sooner he goes away the better." His first try was voted the best try of the tournament. In 2002, the UK public voted Lomu's performance as one of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments. New Zealand played the World Cup final against South Africa. Neither team scored a try. South Africa won 15–12 after kicking a drop-goal in extra time.

Playing After the World Cup

After the 1995 World Cup, New Zealand played Australia for the Bledisloe Cup. Lomu scored tries in both games. He scored two tries when the All Blacks beat Italy. Lomu also played against France, helping his team win one of the matches.

In June 1996, Lomu played for the All Blacks against Samoa and Scotland. He scored a try in one of the Scottish games. Just before the World Cup final, a deal was made to create the Tri-Nations tournament. This is an annual competition between New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. New Zealand won all their games to become the first Tri-Nations champions. Lomu scored a try in a big 43–6 win over Australia.

At the end of 1996, Lomu was diagnosed with a rare and serious kidney disorder. This meant he had to take time off from rugby. He did not play in the 1997 Tri Nations Series. However, he joined the All Blacks tour of the northern hemisphere later that year. Lomu played in three test matches but did not score any tries.

At the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, he won a gold medal. He represented New Zealand in the Sevens Rugby event. The English rugby team came to New Zealand the next year. Lomu played in both matches. He scored a try in the first game, which New Zealand won 64–22.

1999 World Cup Performance

Lomu's 1999 international season started with warm-up matches. He scored one of the All Blacks' nine tries against Samoa. He came on as a substitute in every game of the 1999 Tri Nations Series. Christian Cullen and Tana Umaga were chosen to start on the wings. New Zealand won the Tri Nations title, even though they lost their last game against Australia.

Lomu scored eight tries at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. In the group matches, he scored two tries against Tonga. He also scored one against England and two against Italy. The All Blacks finished first in their group. They then moved on to the quarter-finals. They beat Scotland, with Lomu scoring one of New Zealand's four tries.

Lomu scored twice in the semi-final match against France. However, it was not enough for New Zealand to reach the final. France won the game 43–31. After the World Cup, many people thought Lomu might move to play American Football in the National Football League. Some thought he might play rugby in England. But Lomu decided to return to New Zealand.

End of International Rugby

Jonah Lomu training in 2001.

Lomu started the year 2000 with big wins over Tonga and Scotland. The first game of the 2000 Tri Nations Series was played in front of a record crowd. It was called the "match of the century." New Zealand scored three tries in the first five minutes, leading by 21 points. Australia then came back, making the scores even by half time. With only minutes left, Australia was leading 35 to 34. Then, Lomu "brushed past a desperate Stephen Larkham to tip-toe down the line and score the winning try."

After this, New Zealand beat South Africa. Then, they had a rematch with Australia, which Australia won 24 to 23. New Zealand lost the final game to South Africa. They finished second in the table, behind Australia. Lomu played one more international game that year. It was against France in November, which the All Blacks won 39 to 26.

Lomu was part of the New Zealand Sevens team that won the 2001 Sevens World Cup. He filled in for Eric Rush, who broke his leg during the competition. Before the 2001 Tri Nations Series, the All Blacks played Argentina and France at home. Lomu scored a try in the French match. After a win against South Africa, Lomu played his 50th international game for the All Blacks. He scored a try in the second minute of the game. However, Australia won that match 23 to 15. This was followed by a win over South Africa and another loss to Australia.

During the 1999 off-season, Lomu moved to Wellington. He signed with a second-division club. Lomu played his first game for them, scoring two tries. He also played for the Barbarian F.C. in 2000.

At the end of 2001, the All Blacks played Ireland in Dublin. Lomu was key in their 40 to 29 win. He helped Aaron Mauger score his first try. He also broke through to score one of his own. The All Blacks then beat Scotland 37 to six, with Lomu scoring a try. In the last game of the tour, the All Blacks played Argentina. Lomu scored a try that put the All Blacks ahead after Argentina had an early lead. New Zealand won the match 24 to 20.

In his first international game of 2002, he came off the bench to score a try against Italy. He also came off the bench in the first game against Ireland in New Zealand. Lomu started on the left wing for the second game against Ireland, which New Zealand won 40–8. Lomu did not score in the next game against Fiji. His performance was called "disappointing" as he was beaten for Fiji's first try. Lomu came off the bench in the All Blacks' first game of the 2002 Tri Nations Series against South Africa. He did not play in the rest of the tournament.

He returned to the wing for a game against England in November 2002. Lomu scored two tries, but New Zealand lost 31–28. The next game against France was a draw, the first between the two countries in 96 years. The last game of the tour was against Wales, which the All Blacks won 43–17. These were the last international games Lomu played for New Zealand. His illness got worse, and he needed a kidney transplant.

Comeback to Rugby

Jonah Lomu playing for Cardiff in 2006.

Jonah Lomu returned to professional rugby in 2005. First, he needed special permission from the World Anti-Doping Agency. This was because one of his anti-rejection medicines was on their list of banned substances. On 8 April 2005, he signed a two-year contract. He would play for the North Harbour team in New Zealand.

He missed his first season because he hurt his shoulder. This happened when he scored a try in a practice match. Instead, he worked as a coach. North Harbour allowed him to play overseas for the Cardiff Blues during the off-season.

Lomu played his first game since his transplant on 10 December 2005. He played 60 minutes for Cardiff against an Italian club. Lomu scored his first try for Cardiff on 27 December. He was named man-of-the-match in a 41–23 win. He spent early 2006 recovering and getting stronger. He broke his ankle near the end of his first game back. This ended his season with Cardiff. During his time in Wales, he played 10 games and scored one try.

He returned to North Harbour for the 2006 season. Lomu said it was "a small step" towards his goal. He wanted to play for the All Blacks again in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Lomu played for North Harbour against Wellington, winning 31–16. After the game, Lomu said, "For me it's a dream come true... I've always said this is my goal—to come back and play in New Zealand." Lomu did not get a Super Rugby contract. This ended his hopes of making the World Cup team. Lomu said he was disappointed but proud of himself.

Lomu was offered a contract with the Gold Coast Titans, a rugby league team. But he turned it down. It would have been hard to balance with his sponsorship deals in rugby union.

Retirement and Later Life

Lomu stopped playing professional rugby in 2007. However, he still played in some charity matches. He was going to play in a charity match in 2008. But he had to pull out after hurting his ankle in training. Later that year, Lomu played in another charity match. This game raised money for a local children's charity.

In September 2009, Lomu took part in an amateur bodybuilding contest. He finished second in two categories. In November, he joined a French rugby team called Marseille Vitrolles. He played his first game in a big 64–13 win. Lomu started the match at centre. Then he moved to number 8, a position he played when he was younger.

Lomu also planned to take part in a charity boxing event in New Zealand in 2011. He was meant to fight former league player Monty Betham. On 14 November, Lomu pulled out of the event. He had just been in the hospital for over a week because his kidney was failing.

Rugby Statistics

International Tries

Lomu scored tries against almost every major rugby nation. He did not score against South Africa (in 12 matches) or Wales (in 3 matches). In his career, Lomu scored eight tries against England. This is more than any other All Black. Lomu set a record of 15 tries in World Cup tournaments. This record was matched by South Africa's Bryan Habana in 2015.

Playing Style

Lomu had a special mix of power, size, and speed. This made him very hard to stop when he had the ball. He weighed 120 kg and was 1.96 metres tall. But he could run 100 metres in just 10.8 seconds. He ran with a low center of gravity. He was the best at pushing off tackles in the game. He also had a strong fend and could subtly swerve his body. He usually stayed on his wing. But sometimes he would play at the back of the scrum if the All Blacks needed more power.

Australian rugby journalist Peter FitzSimons famously called Lomu the "freight train in ballet shoes." FitzSimons explained: "other players could go through players, other players could go around player... Lomu could do it all.”

Personal Life

A waxwork of Lomu at Madame Tussauds London.

Jonah Lomu was married three times and had two sons, Brayley and Dhyreille. At the time of his death, he was living with his wife Nadene and their children.

Lomu loved learning languages. Besides English and his parents' Tongan, he also learned to speak French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese. He also had some knowledge of Russian.

Lomu was a member of the Champions for Peace club. This group has 54 famous athletes who work to promote peace through sport. In 2012, Lomu and Nadene became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In 1996, McDonald's New Zealand named a burger after Lomu. They temporarily called their "Mega Feast" burger the "Jonah Burger."

On 9 April 2007, Lomu appeared on New Zealand's version of This Is Your Life. He was reunited with his friend Grant Kereama. Grant had donated a kidney to Lomu for his transplant in July 2004. Lomu was also featured on the British version of This Is Your Life in 2002.

Financial Challenges

Even though Lomu earned millions of dollars during his rugby career, he died with few assets or savings. It is believed his money was used for his medical bills related to his kidney disease and some business ventures that did not succeed. His family was living in a rented home in Auckland when he passed away.

Health Challenges

Lomu (right) with Grant Kereama in 2007. Grant donated a kidney to Lomu.

At the end of 1995, Lomu was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. This is a serious kidney disorder. His rugby career was put on hold while he received treatment. In May 2003, it was announced that Lomu needed dialysis three times a week. This was because his kidney function was getting worse.

Side effects of his dialysis treatment caused severe nerve damage in his feet and legs. His doctors warned him that he might end up in a wheelchair if he did not get a kidney transplant soon. Lomu had a kidney transplant on 28 July 2004 in Auckland, New Zealand. The kidney was donated by Wellington radio presenter Grant Kereama.

His Passing

On the morning of 18 November 2015, Lomu died unexpectedly in Auckland. The cause was a heart attack linked to his kidney disease. The night before, he had returned from the United Kingdom with his family. He had been on a short holiday in Dubai. Lomu had been receiving dialysis treatments during his visit to the UK. He was also doing a lot of promotional work during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

His first public service was held in his home church in Mangere, Auckland. Two public services were held in Manukau and at Eden Park. Many people paid tribute to him and his family. These included Queen Elizabeth II and a haka performed by students from his old primary school. The New Zealand Parliament also honored his life.

A month after his death, a trust called the Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust was created. It was set up by the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association. Its purpose was to help support his sons.

Jonah Lomu's Legacy

Jonah Lomu has been called one of the greatest athletes ever, not just in rugby, but in all sports. He is widely seen as the first true global superstar of rugby union. He had a huge impact on the game. People compare him to Muhammad Ali, Don Bradman, and Tiger Woods in their sports. Rugby player Kenny Logan said, "you could talk about Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, that’s what Jonah was, someone who could change games if you gave him the ball wherever he was." At one time, Lomu was considered 'rugby union's biggest drawcard'. His presence at a match would always increase the number of people attending.

Before 1995, wingers were usually fast and good at running. Lomu was the first truly huge winger. This trend has now become common in many teams. After his performances at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Lomu received the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award in December 1995. This award is given to a non-British sportsperson who has made a big impact and captured the public's imagination.

Lomu was also known for his charity work. As a celebrity, he supported Pasifika community efforts and charities like UNICEF and Kidney Kids NZ.

Lomu was added to the International Rugby Hall of Fame on 9 October 2007. He also joined the IRB Hall of Fame on 24 October 2011. He was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007 for his services to rugby.

Lomu lent his name to several video games, including Jonah Lomu Rugby and Rugby Challenge. He is played by Isaac Fe'aunati in the film Invictus. This film tells the story of Nelson Mandela and the South African rugby team at the 1995 World Cup.

In March 2018, a street called Jonah Lomu Drive was named in his honor. It is in the Paerata Rise area, north of Pukekohe.

On 16 November 2018, a charity rugby match was held to raise money for the Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust. The game was organized to thank Jonah for playing for a local rugby club 10 years earlier. The event included players from all over Wales, a Welsh male voice choir, and Maori war dancers. It raised £3,500 for the trust set up for Jonah's two sons.

Images for kids

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  Jonah Lomu in 2004

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  Jonah Lomu training in 2001

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  Jonah Lomu playing for Cardiff in 2006

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  A waxwork of Lomu at Madame Tussauds London

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  Lomu (right) with Grant Kereama in 2007. Grant donated a kidney to Lomu.

See also

In Spanish: Jonah Lomu para niños