Jonah Lomu Passes Away

Rugby has lost one of it's great sons. The first true global, professional, rugby superstar. A sad sad day.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/74160034/all-blacks-legend-jonah-lomu-dies--report.html

I'll never forget Keith Quinn's "Jonah, OH OH" commentary as you steamrolled England.

RIP big fella.

I'm absolutely shocked, this is horrible news.

RIP big man

Awful... I'm shocked and speechless. An iconic player and by all accounts a lovely man

Not news I was expecting to hear for a long time. Lomu was and always will be a legend of the game. A genuine warrior on the field, and a real gentleman of it. A cert for the Celestial XV.

So sad

Very sad. Got a bit teary eyed when I heard the news and I've never done that before for someone I'd never met. Left a massive impression on world rugby. So proud of Jonah for what he did for the game and for always being humble and connecting with rugby fans around the world. He grew so much in his life and he was always grateful for what rugby gave back to him. Legend to the end.

Very, very sad. Such a great player and a great man.
I only saw that doco where he visited Joost v.d. W a few weeks back. The humility and heart of the guy will never be forgotten.

I'll never forget seeing him play in that 39-35 match in front of a record crowd of 110,000.
It's so hard to describe the mind boggling, almost surreal nature of that wonderful match.

Then, in the last minute or so, I saw Jonah get the ball just over the halfway line. I was at the southern end and he was coming towards us.

He just got bigger and bigger and bigger. I thought at that moment that this was the most fitting end to such an amazing match.

The way he had to put the brakes on (and slightly steer himself towards the posts in order to improve his position) before he put the ball down - and our in-goal areas are huge - is a memory I shall never forget. What a player!

I'm just so glad he was able to witness his mighty ABs win their 3rd RWC.
It would have been nice to see him with one under his belt. He more than deserved it.

RIP Jonah.

He was abundant throughout the UK during the World Cup and was looking healthy, so this news is all the more shocking. He was the guest speaker at an event I attended in Cwmbran during that period. Glad to say I've been in the same room as him - he was such an amusing and humble gentleman. RIP.

I'm for once lost for words.
Guys I have a photo of a signed shirt Jonah gave me way back when me and my son met him at a special event in Twickenham.
It stayed my wardrobe until I met a Kiwi called Tom who said it would be an honour to have that shirt. Somehow now it seems appropriate that he can do me the honour of keeping it and his memory safe.
I'm so sad. He was a genuinely gentle giant of a man and I feel privileged to have met him albeit very briefly.
RIP Jonah you will always be a legend to me and my family.
If anyone can explain how to attach that image to a message I'd be very anxious to share it with you all at this desperately sad time.

A black day indeed for the All Blacks.

I reckon right now he is running over St Peter.

Such sad news. Really was a wonderful and humble man.

RIP Jonah

Awful news. He just seemed like a force of nature when he first appeared on the scene. Hard to imagine a player ever having the same impact on the game.

So sad and at such a young age. I had the privelage of seeing him play live for Wellington Lions in 2000. Looked even bigger from high up in the stand. Absolute beast of a player. Rip..

Terribly sad, he was a lovely guy.
Prayers for the two young children specifically.
I suppose at the least they'll realise how loved their dad was worldwide.

Rugby's first superstar and the player who provided the biggest global impact for the sport. Lovely humble man. Very sad.

I first saw Jonah Lomu play in a schools first fifteen game, (Wesley college versus Kelston boys High), that day Jonah played number 8, and at most would have been 16. If you had told me that he would make a great winger Id have thought that you were not only mad, but why would you waste putting a player like that, out there on the wing......Shows you how much I know.

I'm heartbroken - he was my hero.

Devastated for his wife and two little boys too

[quote="Gwlad"]A black day indeed for the All Blacks.

I reckon right now he is running over St Peter.[/quote]


good post.

Not much else to really add.

RIP

Just heard the news I'm in total shock, so so sad.

I really don't know what to say. Shocking news. R.I.P.

Sad news. The first guy to make me pay any attention to rugby. Iconic player and 40 is way to young.

Gutted. Another icon of the game passes.

Was lucky to see his Cardiff home debut and I will fondly remember the eruption of euphoria when he scored him first try at CAP too. Filled the stadium on his own.

RIP Jonah

Very said to hear this. Only 40 years old. a great player will be sadly missed.

Rest in peace Jonah.

Wow…what an emotional morning.  I know he had an impact on people right around the world but I don’t think you’ll ever understand the impact he had on my generation in New Zealand.  He was just a freak, but also a Gentleman.

My enduring image of him comes from 1995, not the World Cup, but back in the NPC after the world had gone mental for Jonah.  Counties had come to Athletic Park to take on Wellington.  They’d brought Jonah with them too.  As a 15 year old, I went along to see the big man close up for the first time.  For those familiar with Athletic Park (the grand old lady of Wellington Rugby) you will know that the pitch was massive.  A path went right around the ground and you could pretty much walk it as the game went on.  When I got there me and my mates went pitch-side to get a glimpse of the big fella.  Well, he made that pitch look small.  He also scored one or two tries to put the game beyond doubt.

Afterwards, his popularity hit home.  Here I was, one amongst a horde of hundreds of kids all waiting for Jonah to come back onto the pitch and do autographs.  He didn’t disappoint.  He came out, still in his muddy kit and stayed there for at least an hour (that was how long it took to get my autograph) just cementing his place as every kiwi kid’s new hero.

I could list 20 tries he scored as favourite moments, but that humility and humbleness wins it for me

Gone but not forgotten

Very sad news - far too young but seems to have had terrible luck with his health.

I remember watching him rampaging through Ireland in the 1995 RWC like it was yesterday, probably the reason I started playing rugby at all - I remember everyone in the school canteen on the Monday going "did you see that New Zealand number 11?!" - no one has ever had such a real time impact and never will again - Rugby's equivalent to Ali or Tiger Woods, he was a phenom but unfortunately never so devastating again, although his try against France in 1996 (I think) was even more impressive than his trampling of the England team in 1995.

"he was like a grown man playing under 15s" - was it Will Carling who said it?

RIP big man.

Very sad news. An icon and all-time great. Captured my imagination in 1995 and at times unstoppable. By all accounts a lovely bloke as well.

Thoughts are with his family.

So sad. One of the very best athletes this sport has ever produced.

I only heard this and I don't know what to say.
I'll never forget seeing him against Ireland and thinking something wasn't normal here. He made our big tacklers look like schoolboys. He went through Richard Wallace like a hot knife through butter. When the ABs lined up against England later in the tournament I remember not thinking 'how can England beat these guys' but 'how can they beat Lomu'. The rest is history.

You'll never be forgotten Jonah, RIP and thanks for all those fantastic rugby memories.

Gwlad wrote:A black day indeed for the All Blacks.

I reckon right now he is running over St Peter.

What a beautiful comment, Gwlad!

Desperately sad. He revolutionised wing play as the first of the new breed of backs built like mobile back rowers. The kinds of wingers he faced then nowadays might struggle to be big enough to be team mascots. And, while he may have given us English nightmares (from which some of us have barely recovered), he was a giant of the game off the pitch, too: gentle, dignified and gracious. All decent rugby folk across the world mourn his passing far, far too soon and young.

Wow. Knew he was ill, but not that ill.


RIP Big Man.

Sad day

Commiserations to his loved ones. A great player and a good man

Very sad to hear.

He joins Jerry Collins both gone far too young...and sadly I suspect it wont be long till another joins them - Joost.

The most devastating weapon the rugby world has ever seen. But an absolute gentleman and a truly iconic New Zealander who was and is revered across the globe.

As a Kiwi I feel the same as when Sir Edmund Hillary passed away. And despite knowing how bad his illness was, to lose him at 40 is just devastating.

A truly great representative of our sport.

he was on Rugby Tonight recently looking well, this is such sad news. He wasn't just an immense rugby player, he was an immense person too.

RIP

Haven't posted on the Rugby board before but felt it only right to pay respects to a giant amongst men.

It's awful news for the game of rugby, the guy was a legend, I always remember after the 1995 RWC game between New Zealand and Ireland, the Irish flanker Denis McBride saying "If you want to bring him down I suggest you bring a baseball bat"!

I've always been amazed that in over 60 caps, he never scored a try against Wales in 3 games, or 12 games against South Africa but flattened everyone else!

RIP big guy

A giant of a man on the field, and a giant gentleman off.

NZ lost a hero when he was forced to retire through his illness... Today Rugby loses an idle.

RIP Jonah...

Only saw Jonah once. At the RWC 2011 opening ceremony at Eden Park There was a narrative in the dramatised ceremony that me spoke of rugby as a bridge to manhood and also to the multicultural society that New Zealand aspired to become and Jonah as that aspiration He www deservedly rewarded six weeks later in the same place when the All Blacks became World Champions. Well done Jonah. Sadly missed and taken too early.

A very sad day. RIP Jonah

Any attempt to describe Jonah Lomu seems to fall flat - how can you sum up a player who fundamentally changed the game?

All I'll say is that he was a joy to watch* and a real inspiration for a generation of young rugby players, me included.

*Except when he was playing (and usually scoring) against Scotland, when I watched from behind the sofa.

I think his legacy is humility..as Rugby's first global superstar in a new professional era, he set the standard, not only on the pitch but off it. It was wonderful how humble and modest he was...and I do believe (with a few exceptions) that the superstars who followed and will do so in the future, have and will this modesty as a benchmark. Our first global superstar could have been a showoff brat...but he was anything but...

I was a bit young to remember the full extent of how he revolutionised rugby and wing play, but the videos and highlights are enough. A devastating force. Always came across as a lovely bloke too, a sad, sad loss. RIP Jonah, too soon.

I had the very good fortune to be there in 95 and having seen the greatest game of my life, a week later we were wipped by one Jonah Lomu.

A memory I'll never forget.

A gentle giant and probably the greatest ever individual rugby player.

at the age of 30 im lucky enough to have all my sporting heroes alive and well untill the sad news of last night. dont think ive been shocked by the death of anyone who i didn't know quite as bad before.

lomu was one of the major reasons why i got into rugby, i was 10 in 95 and remember watching him run through and run right round nearly everybody, and thought that's what i want to do! trotted down to my local rugby club were they stuck me in the forwards and im still waiting to run round someone!

RIP big man

RIP

Met him during the 97 tour when I rocked up to a AB training session. About 100 other fans were there. All the players were present, Merthens, Zinzan, Fitzpatrick, Spencer etc.

They might as well not have been...

Jonah was mobbed, the rest walked by like they were everyday joe's.... Zinzan was taking drop kicks, I swear every shot skimmed the floor (every dog has his day right.. albeit he probably has the NZ Drop goal record with 2!!!)

My first initial thought was... isn't he small! He was big obviously but we'd built an image in our minds that he was 8ft tall, 25st. Was a real humble chap though... amazing given he was the most destructive force in world rugby. My buddy was eye to eye with him, he was 19st yes but 19st of genuine strength, not artificial like the Haskell's of this world with traps that look like they have had an allergic reaction.

For me he's a once in a 100 years type player. The greatest the game has ever seen. He couldn't kick, couldn't pass, positionally was often exposed.. but that simply didn't matter.  
Guys like Bunce and Little became world beaters again with an Indian summer all down to Jonah. The 93-94 NZ team were close to being the worst in memory. He alone brought them to inches of the world title.... only JW in 2007 has equaled that feat (as in dragging an average team to the cusp of world glory).

People say he wouldn't be as destructive today and that is complete BS. He was 19st with a wingspan that was unrivaled yet his acceleration was unmatched. Players were probably quicker 15 years ago then they were today, wingers had less bulk... yet Jonah beat them all. Craig Joiner was a Scottish sprinter, a 10.6 man and couldn't keep up. He took all wingers on the outside and swatted them like flies.

The only quicker guys I've seen (and that's acceleration really) was Offiah and Caucau. Sure some guys could catch up if they had 40 metres of stride time but that's not really rugby now is it.

When he went inside I recall it took Rodber, Clarke, Johnson and Leonard to take him down (about 10m beyond the gainline). Amateur yes, yet the biggest guys in world rugby. I recall one move when he had Back, Hill and Dillaglio are holding onto one limb each to drag him down, still made 5-10 metres and that was when he was half fit.

See the tries others scored directly after he was pulled down by 3-6 players. Those on the right wing benefited hugely from his work the breakdown before.

Go easy on Jerry Collins dude as I'm sure he's already flipped you a welcome ball. RIP

Great quote from Clive Woodward about Lomu;

One of my favourite stories of Jonah was the night before the game I used to list the two teams, and I said in a team meeting 'there's absolutely nobody I'd swap man for man'. I was doing my motivational talk. I got to the end and Will Greenwood put his hand up and said; 'Clive we're all with you, but on behalf of all the team I think we'd swap Austin Healey for Jonah Lomu'.

And who could blame them?

Rest in peace big man.

Haha, brilliant