All Blacks changed its Facebook profile picture with the photo of Lomu with the letters “RIP” written on it. It also uploaded a video of Lomu’s 15 unforgettable Rugby World Cup tries.
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Despite his superstar status, Lomu made the ensuing interview feel more like a friendly, fireside chat.
Those who knew him then, either at Wesley College, the Counties-Manukau provincial team and various national sides including the All Blacks from the mid-1990s to early 2000s speak of someone who at times was not easy to deal with. THIS ONES FOR YOU JONAH #TheJonahLomuFamily All my love blows up into heaven straight at you Jonah xxx xx (NBD-RX) https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/jonahlomulegacy#.
Queen Elizabeth II offered her condolences over Jonah Lomu’s death yesterday as the rugby legend’s family revealed they were planning a send-off as big as the great man himself. “But I’m going to be hanging up my boots”.
“Anyone who was living in New Zealand in the 1990s would not have failed to notice the massive impact Jonah Lomu had not only on sports fans but the wider community in this country”, Sports Minister Jonathan Coleman said. McCaw announced his retirement from the game this week. When I reached the village than one of my cousin was telling me that did you hear about the bad news?
“Jonah was at greater risk of that happening because of his renal condition”.
He said Lomu had inspire Mangere youth to dream big and strive for excellence.
He had already wreaked havoc on the Irish, the Welsh and the Scots, scoring tries or creating them for the ever-attendant flanker Josh Kronfeld, but the awesome might of his size and pace blazed incandescently in the match against England. Lomu is provided to be in a band of a few who shifted the paradigm of sport. Memorable and the much talked of try was the 1995 World Cup where within four minutes Lomu gathered a bouncing ball 30 metres out, handed off and rounded Tony Underwood, outpaced Carling’s desperate tap-tackle which left Lomu staggering and ran straight over Mike Catt, England’s last line of defence.
Lomu smiled as he recalled that match and admitted he was good friends with his victims.
Despite all his feats, Lomu clearly had not forgotten why he had played the game in the first place. He concluded with the message: “Rugby first and foremost should be fun”.
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He was literally obliterating defences – outside, through the middle, over the top of players – there seemed no way to contain him and whatever strategy a team employed, it was disintegrated by Jonah.
