Jonah Lomu

'I went to pick him up': How close Jonah Lomu came to joining the NRL

Ahead of their inaugural campaign in the NRL, the Titans attempted to sign one of the greatest All Blacks to have ever donned the coveted black jersey.

Star winger Lomu, who sadly passed away in 2015, made his international debut without playing a single game of Super Rugby – and quickly rose to icon status.

Standing at six-foot-five and weighing about 125-kilograms, Lomu was a game-changing winger for the All Blacks.

Lining up in the now famous No. 11 jersey for New Zealand, the rampaging winger was seemingly unstoppable during his prime.

Tags: 

Jonah Lomu and Bryan Habana among newly-inducted RugbyPass Hall of Fame wings

Home to the greatest rugby players of all-time, the RugbyPass Hall of Fame acknowledges and recognises the outstanding efforts of the trailblazers from the amateur era through to the global stars who light up the sport to this day.

The amalgamation of rugby’s top players from the amateur and professional eras has been reflected in the RugbyPass Hall of Fame’s first-ever induction announcement, from which 14 of rugby’s best left wings have been unveiled as inductees.

Lomu, Williams, Cullen final inductees in Greatest All Blacks XV

In the final instalment of Sky Sport’s quest to find New Zealand’s Greatest XV, a panel of leading journalists and broadcasters – Grant Nisbett, Ken Laban, Rikki Swannell and Phil Gifford – were last week asked by The Breakdown who they thought were the country’s best-ever outside backs.

The panel were unanimous in their verdict that Lomu, the game’s first and only global superstar, and Cullen, the 60-test veteran who played for the All Blacks between 1996 and 2002, were New Zealand’s greatest left wing and fullback.

Five years on: Jonah Lomu's widow's insides 'crushed beyond repair'

Nadene Lomu posted a heartfelt message on social media on Wednesday, saying her “insides are hurting and crushed beyond repair”.

Lomu, 40, died unexpectedly at his Auckland home on November 18, 2015 of a heart attack, which was linked to his rare kidney disorder.

The giant wing had not long returned from Dubai, where he had been holidaying after the Rugby World Cup in the UK, when he collapsed and couldn't be resuscitated.

Jonah Lomu and John Kirwan named in legendary Lions' coach's rugby dream team

McGeechan - a midfielder for Scotland and the Lions in the 1970s - is selecting his all-star XV in a series of articles in London's Daily Telegraph.

He named Kirwan on the right wing and Lomu on the left, with 1970s Wales and Lions great JPR Williams as fullback in the first instalment, published on Monday (Tuesday NZ time).

McGeechan said Lomu was "unique'' and his impact on the sport was "immense''.

"He was built like a train, and could run like one. But he could also really play rugby. Lomu’s skills were honed on the sevens circuit with New Zealand.

Jonah Lomu's shorts from the inaugural Super 12 final are up for sale

The autographed pair of shorts which were worn and ripped off from legendary All Black Jonah Lomu in the inaugural Super 12 final, is being auctioned online for half-a-million dollars.

Lomu, who died aged 40 in 2015 from a heart attack associated with his kidney condition, scored one of six tries for the Blues in their 45-21 win over the Natal Sharks in the 1996 decider at Eden Park.

It was during the second half of that game that Lomu had his shorts torn off by Henry Honiball.

Tags: 

Honouring late All Black wing Jonah Lomu's Rugby World Cup legend

The late All Blacks great is a World Cup icon, the dominant figure from his two appearances in 1995 and 1999 where he scored what remains a record haul of 15 tries.

Lomu, who battled major kidney problems, passed away at the age of 40 soon after returning from the 2015 tournament in England where he had been heavily involved in promotional work.

'Niece' of All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu faces life in jail for importing meth

Selaima Fakaosilea faces life imprisonment for importing 501kg of meth to Northland's Ninety Mile Beach, after being found guilty alongside Stevie Norua Cullen in the High Court in Whangārei.

It is a big fall from grace for the mother-of-one, who comes from a proud sporting family and was a relative of late rugby star Lomu.

Family unity at unveiling of Jonah Lomu's headstone

The rugby legend's wife Nadene, their sons Dhyreille and Brayley were joined by Jonah's brother John during the pre-unveiling ceremony at the Manukau Memorial Gardens on Monday morning.

Alongside close family and friends were a host of invited guests that included Lomu's All Black team mates, Eric Rush and Josh Kronfeld and two men who played a huge part in his life, Phil Kingsley Jones and former chairman of the Hong Kong Rugby Union and former president of the Asia Rugby Union and World Rugby Council member for Asia, Trevor Gregory.

Lomu, Cullen, Umaga all in one

Talk about a destructive force! Comparisons don't come much bigger than those being dished out by Doug Howlett, the wonder-wing who scored a record 49 tries in 62 tests for the All Blacks.

Ioane has just been named World Rugby's breakthrough player of the year following a stunning season where he has taken his try count to 11 from just 13 tests and looked a force in every match he has played.

"He has elements of all great All Black wingers," Howlett told the BBC's weekly rugby podcast on Wednesday.