Jonah Lomu ‘as big as we could have hoped for’ says Brian O’Driscoll in new discovery+ documentary on New Zealand great
Updated 01/11/2024 at 09:09 GMT
All Blacks great and one of rugby’s most legendary players, Jonah Lomu, is remembered fondly by those who watched him, and fearfully by those who had to play against him. The late New Zealand superstar's legacy is the subject of an exclusive documentary, available on discovery+ this Friday. Stream the Autumn Nations series on TNT Sports and discovery+.
'Like Muhammad Ali, David Beckham, Usain Bolt' – Why Jonah Lomu was rugby's 'greatest force'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Jonah Lomu, one of the most influential players ever to play the game of rugby, is the subject of a new discovery+ documentary looking back on his career and the legacy he had on modern rugby.
The fearsome winger was as huge in stature as he was in spirit, making a career out of running over defenders and scoring with flair.
Standing at 6’4’’ and weighing around 18 stone, Lomu defied his stature to be one of the lightest-footed wingers the game has ever seen - earning himself the nickname of a 'freight train in ballet shoes'.
He might not have won the World Cup with the All Blacks, but he was very much a rugby superstar, one of the best ever to play the game.
“In our sport, he was as big as we could have hoped for,” says former Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll.
“People that had no idea about rugby knew who Jonah Lomu was.”
Lomu made his debut in 1994, as the youngest All Black in history. But he really burst onto the global scene and made his name in the 1995 World Cup in South Africa, memorably running straight over Mike Catt when New Zealand played England to score a try that is still replayed again and again to this day.
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Jonah Lomu (TOP) of New Zealand's All Blacks is caught by Argentina's Los Pumas players Diego Albanese (R) and Lisandro Arbizu (L) during their test match 01 December 2001 in Buenos Aires
Image credit: Getty Images
At the World Cup in 1999 he had an equally big impact, even though New Zealand fell to a shock loss to France in the semi-finals.
A rare kidney condition was sadly already taking its toll on the Kiwi great and limited his appearances for his country to just 63 caps, before he tragically died aged just 40 in 2015.
But Lomu was so much more than just numbers: he was a gentle giant off the pitch, a genius on it and will forever be remembered as one of the best players the game has ever seen.
Stars from around the rugby world, including former team-mates, pay tribute to Lomu in a new documentary that will be broadcast on Quest at 23:00 UK time on Thursday, October 31 before being made available on discovery+ from Friday, November 1.
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Relive the day Jonah Lomu tore through England’s defence and became a rugby legend
Video credit: TNT Sports
Stream the Gallagher Premiership, 2024 Autumn Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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