Jonah Lomu

14 November 2011

Former International Rugby Player (New Zealand)

Jonah Tali Lomu is a former New Zealand rugby union star who, on his national team debut in 1994, became the youngest player to pull on the All Blacks jersey.

Lomu played for no fewer than eight club teams over the course of his career, enjoying his most successful period with the Auckland Blues, with whom he won successive Super 12 titles in 1996 and 1997.

He burst into the consciousness of rugby fans across the globe with his explosive impact at the Rugby World Cup 1995 in South Africa, where he set a record for tries scored that is still held today.

His time at the top was cut short by illness, when Lomu was diagnosed with a kidney problem (Nephrotic syndrome) in 1997. However, he was able to make it back in time for the 1999 World Cup before eventually receiving a kidney transplant in 2004. Though he was told he would never walk again, his sheer perseverance enabled the All Black legend to return to the rugby field in the colours of Welsh side the Cardiff Blues in late 2005.

His own experiences have led to him lending his full support to the “Kidney Kid” organisation, which helps parents whose children are suffering from kidney diseases, as well as the “National Kidney Research Foundation”.

Nevertheless, Lomu’s commitment to charity work does not stop there. He also supports other foundations such as “Cure Kids” or “Ronald McDonald House”, as well as “Special Olympics”, a charity which gives mentally-handicapped individuals the opportunity to take part in sporting activities.