Rugby great Jonah Lomu, a pioneering global superstar whose speed and power terrorised opponents, died unexpectedly at the age of 40 after a long battle with kidney disease, prompting an outpouring of tributes for “a legend of the game”. Lomu had for decades struggled with the kidney illness that cut short his playing career, but close acquaintances said his sudden death still came as a shock. He passed away at his Auckland home, family spokesman John Mayhew said, after returning from a trip to Britain.
Lomu played 63 Tests and scored 37 tries for New Zealand, rising to stardom at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. At his peak, the 1.96 metre (six foot five inch) Lomu weighed 120 kilograms (265 pounds) and could cover 100 metres in 10.8 seconds. He combined the speed of a backline player with the power of a forward, creating a new template for wingers and attracting a global audience for the newly professional sport of rugby union.
Shortly after announcing himself at the 1995 World Cup, Lomu was diagnosed in late 1995 with the rare kidney disorder nephrotic syndrome, which eventually forced him out of the international scene in 2002 at the age of 27. Yet his spell at the top had such an impact that he was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011.
Did You Know???
- Rugby is a rough game similar to football, believed to have been developed at England’s Rugby School, early in the 1800s.
- Rugby involved two teams of 15 players each. The object of the game is to run or kick the ball across the opponent’s goal or kick it up and through the posts.
- The first rugby balls were plum-shaped because they were made of pig bladders. In the late 1800s they were slightly egg-shaped and made from rubber inner tubes. They have evolved to the oval shape of today, as oval balls are easier to catch, hold and run with.
- Rugby has only been played as an Olympic sport four times. The first time was in 1900 and the last time was in 1924.
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