Jonah Lomu: 20 Things You Didn’t Know, Ten Years After His Death
Rugby NewsTuesday, 18 November 2025 at 10:41
— supporting extended family and others, sometimes at his own expense. After his death, it emerged he had very few assets.
Ten years after his passing, Jonah Lomu remains one of the most mythic figures in rugby. Everyone remembers the bulldozing runs and the four tries against England — but there was much more to him, on and off the field.
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Here are 20 things you may not know about the man behind the legend.
1. He was the youngest All Black ever
Lomu made his debut in 1994 at just 19 years and 45 days old, becoming the youngest All Black in history at the time.
2. He almost didn’t make the 1995 World Cup squad
Before becoming the tournament’s breakout star, Lomu was nearly left out of the team because selectors felt he was still raw defensively.
3. He redefined the physical profile of a winger
At 1.96 m and around 120 kg, he could still run under 11 seconds for 100m. Coaches worldwide began hunting for players who combined that size–speed blend.
4. He remains the Rugby World Cup’s joint top try-scorer
His 15 tries in RWC play — achieved in just two tournaments — stand tied for the all-time record.
5. His 1999 RWC campaign was statistically absurd
He scored 8 tries in that World Cup alone, more than many international teams scored in the entire tournament.
6. He scored 37 tries in 63 Tests
A strike rate of one try every 1.7 matches — sensational for a winger in the pre-professional era.
7. His kidney disease started during his early career
Lomu’s nephrotic syndrome was identified in 1995, meaning he produced much of his greatest rugby while seriously ill.
8. He played through pain few fans ever saw
He often finished matches barely able to walk, with teammates having to lift him off buses or up stairs after games.
9. His kidney transplant came from a friend
Radio presenter Grant Kereama donated the kidney that gave Lomu several additional years of rugby and family life.
10. He was a rugby sevens star
His breakout actually came on the sevens circuit, especially the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens, where he overwhelmed world-class opponents.
His Personal Life & Passion for Cars
These lesser-known aspects of his personal world show just how vibrant — and human — Jonah Lomu was.
11. He was a massive car enthusiast
Lomu once said that if he had to pick between talking rugby and talking cars for six hours, he’d choose cars every time.
12. He had one of the wildest car collections of any athlete
Over the years he owned:
- A 600 bhp Nissan Skyline GT-R
- A 1967 Chevrolet Camaro modified into a drag-style street car
- A Holden V8 race car
- A Hummer
- A Lamborghini at the peak of his fame
- Multiple Mercedes-Benz vehicles
13. His Nissan Patrol had a jet-engine-level sound system
His custom Patrol was famously fitted with an audio setup that reached about 163 decibels — louder than a jet at takeoff and powerful enough to damage hearing instantly.
14. He dreamed of being a racing driver
He admitted that if life had taken a different turn, motorsport might have been his true calling. His father taught him mechanics and driving at a very young age.
15. He visited and drove at the Lamborghini factory
In Italy, he test-drove a Gallardo Superleggera and experienced an Aventador, calling it “an extreme but comfortable adrenaline rush.”
Family, Character & Private Life
16. He spoke several languages
Beyond English and Tongan, Lomu had learned French, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and even bits of Russianduring his globe-trotting career.
17. He was married three times
His marriages to Tanya Rutter and Fiona Taylor preceded his third marriage to Nadene Quirk, with whom he had two sons: Brayley and Dhyreille.
18. His generosity contributed to his financial struggles
Lomu’s friends often described him as too generous
19. He used his fame for charity
Following his transplant, he became an ambassador for kidney charities and worked with UNICEF. He often visited schools and hospitals without media present.
20. Friendship with Robin Williams
Jonah Lomu met Robin Williams at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel in 1998 in a promotion organised by the New Zealand Rugby Union. It brought together the biggest name in rugby and one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and started an enduring friendship. They remained friends until Williams’ death in August 2014 aged 63.
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