Lomu, Jonah

▪ 1996

      South Africa may have won the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup final, but the man of the year was undoubtedly Jonah Lomu. The giant New Zealand wing dominated the World Cup and became the most talked-about player in generations.

      At 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) and weighing 19 stone (119 kg; 266 lb), the 20-year-old Lomu could have played just about any position, having clocked 10.8 seconds for the 100-m sprint. In less than 12 months, however, he had become one of the most devastating wing threequarters ever to set foot on a rugby pitch. Born of Tongan parents in Mangere, N.Z., on June 1, 1975, Lomu weighed in at a massive 5 kg (11 lb) at birth.

      As a youngster he played Rugby League before switching to Union. He regularly won every school athletics event he entered and held records for sprint, hurdles, shot put, and discus. In Rugby Union he played in the forwards, usually as a flanker but sometimes at lock.

      It was the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament that brought him to the attention of the New Zealand national selectors, and they decided that his best position would be wing. He became the youngest-ever All Black when he made his debut against France in June 1994 at age 19, but his defensive naïveté was exposed and he lost his place.

      Lomu bounced back, thrilling the crowds once again at the 1995 Hong Kong Sevens, and the New Zealand management decided to take a gamble and include him in their World Cup squad. They knew he had all the attributes to be a great player, but they needed to see if he had the mental discipline and ability to cope with pressure. Their faith was rewarded when he turned in a series of stunning performances in South Africa.

      The All Black management wisely kept him under wraps, and the legend of Jonah Lomu grew as the tournament progressed. Against England he turned out to be virtually unstoppable—destroying them in the semifinals almost single-handedly, scoring four tries, and trampling many of England's finest players underfoot in the process.

      Performances like that soon had the big Rugby League clubs knocking on his door, and even the U.S. football Dallas Cowboys were rumoured to have made him an offer. But the shy, unassuming giant elected to stay in Rugby Union, thanks to probably the biggest deal ever struck for a Union player.

      Away from the media glare he was a simple soul, professing a liking for fast food and loud music. A keen surfer, he loved swimming in the sea, and he claimed his favourite film was Forrest Gump. Not a bad role model!

      (DAVID LAWRENSON)

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