10 Things About Jonah Lomu You Probably Didn't Know
Jonah Tali Lomu was a professional rugby player of New Zealand origin who was considered the sport's first global superstar thanks to the physical ability he displayed match after match. His measurements and very particular way of playing made this athlete a legend both on and off the field of play. His sudden death, due to battling nephritic syndrome for years, was undoubtedly a blow to the international fans and to rugby itself, a sport of which Lomu had become an icon, superstar and its best representation.
1. When and where was Jonah Lomu born?
Jonah Tali Lomu was born on May 12, 1975 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was the son of immigrant parents from Tonga with Polynesian Maori ancestry. Despite the fact that the athlete lived for some time with his uncles in the Tongan archipelago, almost all of his childhood he grew up with his parents in a marginal suburb in the south of the New Zealand city.
2. When did Lomu debut as a professional rugby player?
At the end of June 1994 and with almost just turned 19, this athlete made his debut as winger with the 'All Blacks' in a match against France at Lancaster Park in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. Jonah Lomu became the youngest player to date to make his debut for this team as a winger against the France team.
3. What was the game that made you famous?
After making his debut in 1994 and spending a year playing with the 'All Black', Jonah Lomu rose to fame after playing with his team in the 1995 World Cup semifinal and managing to score four trials against England, the rival team . The run over and the roll that he made to Mike Catt, one of the players from the other team, was what really remained in the memory of the spectators who realized the incredible power that the 1.96 meter and 119 player had. kg. In that same World Cup, Lomu was able to score another five more trials: one to Scotland and two more to Ireland.
4. What was this athlete going to do before becoming a rugby star?
Before becoming the famous rugby player, Jonah Lomu had in mind to pursue something other than sports. The superstar thought that he should study something to work as a bank teller so that he can have a safe and peaceful life. However, the New Zealand team selector called him to sign up for a friendly match against France, which would ultimately be his rugby debut match. Without knowing it, Jonah Lomu was on the verge of becoming the greatest rugby player of all time.
5. Did you know that Lomu had to deal with numerous health problems throughout his sports career?
After being active for eight years, in 2002 Lomu was diagnosed with nephritic syndrome and a kidney problem for which he had to receive a transplant. There were many who wanted to donate the kidney that Lomu needed, but as the player himself expressed, he did not want to skip the list of transplants just because he was famous. This wait ended in 2004 when he was finally awarded a kidney whose donor was his friend and radio presenter Grant Kereama. With the new kidney and the subsequent recovery, Lomu was able to return to rugby after spending two years away from the sport.
6. What commercials did Jonah Lomu star in?
With the great fame that the athlete was gaining in rugby, many brands began to want him to appear in their advertisements and to be the image of their products. In this way, Lomu became the first commercial figure of his sport. In addition to appearing in numerous advertisements for the Adidas brand, both alone and alongside his 'All Black' teammates, in 2007 Lomu was the face of advertising for a New Zealand electricity company. In this announcement, the player talked about his kidney transplant and the dialysis treatment he had to undergo.
7. Did you know that Jonah Lomu set the precedent for the physique of current players?
Before Jonah Lomu arrived on the pitch, it was very common to see rugby players as skinny with a more or less ordinary build. However, Lomu with his almost two meters tall and 119 kg was capable of taking down more players than they took him down. In this way, he laid the foundations of the bodies that the teams would look for in their players years later.
8. Did you know that there is a video game in which this athlete is the protagonist?
In 1997, Codemasters released 'Jonah Lomu Rugby', the video game for both PC and PlayStation in which you could play and compete in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, that is , the competition in which the athlete had achieved world fame.
9. What was the decoration awarded to Lomu?
In 2007, Jonah Lomu was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit. This Order is attributed to someone when a person, regardless of their field, has given a service that the Crown of the country considers meritorious. It is also given based on the talent of the person and their contributions among others. You are clear that the athlete contributed a lot to this sport, with his totally new way of playing.
10. Did you know that Jonah Lomu wrote his autobiography?
In 2004, after returning to rugby, battling nephritic syndrome and receiving a kidney transplant, Jonah Lomu wrote his autobiography in which he recounts his life in great detail. In addition to talking about his sports career, this sports legend gave other information about his life, such as how he spent his childhood, the relationship he had with some gangs or how his mother decided to enroll him in 'Wesley College' to separate him of that environment and guide his life.
Jonah Lomu proved that you can get out of difficult situations. His hope and perseverance earned him the ability to return to the pitch where everyone believed they would no longer see him. From humble origins and hard-working parents, Lomu left many life lessons and a learning path that elevated him to be the icon of a sport in which many good players pass through, they will never manage to overshadow the legacy of the Maori superstar.
Jonah Tali Lomu was born on May 12, 1975 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was the son of immigrant parents from Tonga with Polynesian Maori ancestry. Despite the fact that the athlete lived for some time with his uncles in the Tongan archipelago, almost all of his childhood he grew up with his parents in a marginal suburb in the south of the New Zealand city.
2. When did Lomu debut as a professional rugby player?
At the end of June 1994 and with almost just turned 19, this athlete made his debut as winger with the 'All Blacks' in a match against France at Lancaster Park in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. Jonah Lomu became the youngest player to date to make his debut for this team as a winger against the France team.
3. What was the game that made you famous?
After making his debut in 1994 and spending a year playing with the 'All Black', Jonah Lomu rose to fame after playing with his team in the 1995 World Cup semifinal and managing to score four trials against England, the rival team . The run over and the roll that he made to Mike Catt, one of the players from the other team, was what really remained in the memory of the spectators who realized the incredible power that the 1.96 meter and 119 player had. kg. In that same World Cup, Lomu was able to score another five more trials: one to Scotland and two more to Ireland.
4. What was this athlete going to do before becoming a rugby star?
Before becoming the famous rugby player, Jonah Lomu had in mind to pursue something other than sports. The superstar thought that he should study something to work as a bank teller so that he can have a safe and peaceful life. However, the New Zealand team selector called him to sign up for a friendly match against France, which would ultimately be his rugby debut match. Without knowing it, Jonah Lomu was on the verge of becoming the greatest rugby player of all time.
5. Did you know that Lomu had to deal with numerous health problems throughout his sports career?
After being active for eight years, in 2002 Lomu was diagnosed with nephritic syndrome and a kidney problem for which he had to receive a transplant. There were many who wanted to donate the kidney that Lomu needed, but as the player himself expressed, he did not want to skip the list of transplants just because he was famous. This wait ended in 2004 when he was finally awarded a kidney whose donor was his friend and radio presenter Grant Kereama. With the new kidney and the subsequent recovery, Lomu was able to return to rugby after spending two years away from the sport.
6. What commercials did Jonah Lomu star in?
With the great fame that the athlete was gaining in rugby, many brands began to want him to appear in their advertisements and to be the image of their products. In this way, Lomu became the first commercial figure of his sport. In addition to appearing in numerous advertisements for the Adidas brand, both alone and alongside his 'All Black' teammates, in 2007 Lomu was the face of advertising for a New Zealand electricity company. In this announcement, the player talked about his kidney transplant and the dialysis treatment he had to undergo.
7. Did you know that Jonah Lomu set the precedent for the physique of current players?
Before Jonah Lomu arrived on the pitch, it was very common to see rugby players as skinny with a more or less ordinary build. However, Lomu with his almost two meters tall and 119 kg was capable of taking down more players than they took him down. In this way, he laid the foundations of the bodies that the teams would look for in their players years later.
8. Did you know that there is a video game in which this athlete is the protagonist?
In 1997, Codemasters released 'Jonah Lomu Rugby', the video game for both PC and PlayStation in which you could play and compete in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, that is , the competition in which the athlete had achieved world fame.
9. What was the decoration awarded to Lomu?
In 2007, Jonah Lomu was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit. This Order is attributed to someone when a person, regardless of their field, has given a service that the Crown of the country considers meritorious. It is also given based on the talent of the person and their contributions among others. You are clear that the athlete contributed a lot to this sport, with his totally new way of playing.
10. Did you know that Jonah Lomu wrote his autobiography?
In 2004, after returning to rugby, battling nephritic syndrome and receiving a kidney transplant, Jonah Lomu wrote his autobiography in which he recounts his life in great detail. In addition to talking about his sports career, this sports legend gave other information about his life, such as how he spent his childhood, the relationship he had with some gangs or how his mother decided to enroll him in 'Wesley College' to separate him of that environment and guide his life.
Jonah Lomu proved that you can get out of difficult situations. His hope and perseverance earned him the ability to return to the pitch where everyone believed they would no longer see him. From humble origins and hard-working parents, Lomu left many life lessons and a learning path that elevated him to be the icon of a sport in which many good players pass through, they will never manage to overshadow the legacy of the Maori superstar.
