Jonah Lomu Timeline

Jonah Lomu 20

1975 Jonah Lomu born in Pukekohe, Auckland A childhood shaped by Tongan heritage and South Auckland rugby league culture Jonah Lomu was born on 12 May 1975 in Pukekohe, south of Auckland, to Tongan parents. He grew up in the working-class suburb of Mangere amid gang violence and family hardship, and was sent to boarding school partly to steer him away from trouble. His size and athleticism were apparent from childhood, and he initially excelled at rugby league and athletics before rugby union became his path.
1993 Schoolboy sensation at Wesley College Selection for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team announces a prodigy While attending Wesley College in Auckland, Lomu's combination of size and raw speed made him a standout schoolboy player. He was selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team and quickly attracted the attention of provincial and national selectors, an unusually fast rise for a teenager still growing into his frame.
1994 Youngest ever All Black Test debut against France at age 19 makes him the youngest All Black in history On 26 June 1994, Lomu made his test debut for the All Blacks against France in Christchurch at 19 years and 45 days old, the youngest player ever to represent New Zealand at that level. His early performances were inconsistent and he was dropped from the national side later that year, a setback that pushed him to refocus on conditioning ahead of his breakthrough.
1995 – 1996 Rugby turns professional as Lomu becomes its face The sport's shift to professionalism coincides with rugby's first global marketing star In August 1995, shortly after the World Cup, rugby union abandoned amateurism and turned fully professional. Lomu's box-office appeal made him the new sport's most marketable asset, and he was signed to lucrative boot and apparel deals, appeared in a widely aired Adidas advertising campaign, and even featured in a video game bearing his name. He is widely regarded as the player whose popularity helped make professional rugby commercially viable outside its traditional heartlands.
1995 1995 Rugby World Cup semi-final demolition Four tries against England, including the famous run over fullback Mike Catt At the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, Lomu scored four tries in New Zealand's semi-final rout of England at Newlands, Cape Town, on 18 June 1995. One try, in which he ran straight through fullback Mike Catt on his way to the line, became one of the most replayed moments in rugby history and instantly made him a global star. His tournament haul of seven tries and his sheer physical dominance changed public perceptions of what a winger could be.
1995 1995 World Cup Final heartbreak All Blacks fall to hosts South Africa in an extra-time final New Zealand lost the 1995 Rugby World Cup final to host nation South Africa 15-12 after extra time at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on 24 June 1995, a match immortalised by Nelson Mandela presenting the trophy in a Springbok jersey. Lomu was closely marked throughout and held tryless, and speculation later arose that a stomach illness affecting the New Zealand squad before the match may have been an early sign of the kidney disorder that would later be diagnosed in him.
1996 Nephrotic syndrome diagnosis revealed A serious kidney disorder becomes public knowledge In 1996 it became public that Lomu had been diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious and incurable kidney disorder that causes the kidneys to leak protein and leads to progressive loss of function. The condition would sap his energy and fitness for the remainder of his career and life, and he continued playing top-level rugby for years afterward despite it, a fact many teammates and opponents did not fully appreciate at the time.
1996 – 1997 Super Rugby success with the Auckland Blues Back-to-back Super 12 titles as part of a dominant Blues side Playing for the Auckland Blues in the newly formed Super 12 competition, Lomu was a key figure in the side that won the title in both 1996 and 1997, pairing with fellow stars in one of the most feared backlines in the competition's early years.
1999 Top scorer of the 1999 Rugby World Cup Eight tries in the tournament, but a stunning semi-final loss to France At the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Lomu was the tournament's leading try-scorer with eight tries, including two in the semi-final against France at Twickenham on 31 October 1999. Despite his form, New Zealand suffered one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, collapsing to a 43-31 defeat after leading comfortably, ending their tournament in the semi-final stage.
2000 – 2002 Playing through worsening illness Continued international rugby as his kidney condition steadily progressed Through the early 2000s Lomu remained a fixture for the All Blacks and Auckland Blues, but his kidney function continued to decline, sapping his stamina and increasing his fatigue between matches. He managed his energy carefully around training and games, and his once-explosive workload was gradually scaled back as selectors and medical staff monitored his health.
2003 Final Rugby World Cup campaign New Zealand fall to Australia in the semi-final in Sydney Lomu played in his third and final Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2003, but his form and impact were visibly diminished by his illness compared to 1995 and 1999. New Zealand were eliminated in the semi-final by host nation Australia, 22-10, at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney on 15 November 2003.
2004 Retirement from international rugby Kidney disease forces an end to his All Blacks career In 2004, with his kidney function deteriorating to the point of near total failure, Lomu was forced to retire from international rugby. He had earned 63 caps and scored 37 tries for the All Blacks, a scoring record for the position that stood for years, achieved despite playing much of his career while seriously ill.
2004 Kidney transplant surgery A donated kidney from broadcaster Grant Kereama gives him a new chance In July 2004, Lomu underwent a kidney transplant, receiving an organ donated by New Zealand radio broadcaster Grant Kereama. The surgery briefly restored his health and fueled hopes of a return to top-level rugby, and he spoke publicly and often about organ donation awareness in the years that followed.
2005 Comeback attempt with Cardiff Blues A short-lived move to Welsh rugby in pursuit of a return to form In 2005, Lomu signed with Welsh region Cardiff Blues in an attempt to relaunch his playing career after his transplant. The move drew huge attention, but his time in Wales was brief and limited by fitness and match-sharpness issues, and he did not recapture his earlier dominance.
2006 – 2007 Domestic comeback with North Harbour Playing provincial rugby in New Zealand as he chased a return to the top level Lomu continued trying to work his way back into elite rugby, turning out for North Harbour in New Zealand's domestic provincial competition. Though never able to fully recapture his pre-illness explosiveness, his willingness to keep competing at a high level while managing a transplanted kidney was widely admired.
2007 Inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame Formal recognition of his impact on the global game In 2007, Lomu was inducted into the International Rugby Board (IRB) Hall of Fame, part of the sport's formal recognition of the players who shaped its history. He was already widely regarded by pundits and fans as the most influential player of the professional era's opening years.
2011 Transplanted kidney fails A return to regular dialysis after the 2004 transplant stops working By 2011, the kidney Lomu received in his 2004 transplant had failed, forcing him back onto dialysis treatment several times a week. The setback was a serious blow after years of relative stability, and he began the difficult wait for a second transplant while continuing to appear in media, charity, and ambassadorial roles.
2012 – 2015 Ambassador for the game in his final years Media work, charity appearances, and global rugby promotion while managing dialysis In his final years, Lomu remained a globally recognised ambassador for rugby, undertaking media commentary, charity work, and promotional appearances for the sport, including engagements tied to the build-up of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. He did this while continuing regular dialysis treatment, rarely making his ongoing health struggle a public focus.
2015 A lasting legacy Remembered as the first global superstar of professional rugby In the years since his death, Lomu has been consistently ranked among the greatest and most influential rugby players of all time, credited with expanding the sport's popularity into markets where it had little prior following. His statue, retired jersey tributes, and continued Hall of Fame recognition reflect a legacy defined as much by his impact on rugby's global reach as by his statistics on the field.
2015 Sudden death in Auckland Jonah Lomu dies at 40 from a condition linked to his long kidney illness Jonah Lomu died suddenly at his home in Auckland on 18 November 2015 at the age of 40, shortly after returning from a promotional trip to the United Kingdom tied to the Rugby World Cup. His death was attributed to a cardiac event linked to his long-term kidney disease. Tributes poured in from across the rugby world, and his funeral at Eden Park drew thousands of mourners along with tributes from heads of state and sporting figures worldwide.