RIP Jonah Lomu the legend.

[TRF_heineken]

Rest in Peace Jonah Lomu!

I woke up to see this bad news, and then it suddenly started to rain. Something we have been praying for, for a very long time. I think Jonah had something to with it, and I take solace in that.

 

[nzlizard]

Yeah pretty gutted aye, he was awesome, on and off the field.

Redefined the game completely and the role a wing plays.

Just watched the news and some of the tributes were fantastic.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

A giant in all possible senses of the term. Thank you for the memories, Jonah. Peace to you and the loved ones you leave behind.

 

[Scrum Bum]

Rest in peace Jonah. You were my childhood hero growing up, I was still in pre school when you ran over Mike Catt, but my fondest memories of you include you partnering Joeli Vidiri on the wings for Counties (A combination that is hard to best!!) and of course that try against Australia. Jonah redefined the wing position as some famous teammate had said: "there had been guys as big as Jonah before, only difference was that they weren't wingers". Well Jonah had all the physical talent in the world and I was shocked as any other fan of the man when it came to light about his troubles. To see him fail to get any chances with the North Harbour side when he wanted to make the 07 world cup squad was heart breaking.

It's so sad that all he wanted to do was be a better father than his own and spend time with his kids, but he was robbed of that. Conversely there is no suffering or pain for him and he can rest easy.

RIP Jonah. A big man who made a big impact on the field but a bigger impact off it. :'(

 

[Aristodemus]

So very sad. RIP Jonah.

Legend is thrown around too much but he was a legend of the game.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Shocked and saddened. The first global rugby union Superstar. RIP.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What horrible news to wake up to. Jonah was rugby when I first started watching, he was the first superstar, whose on field domination will never be matched, and easily my favourite player. A real hero and icon in the rugby community and further afield. RIP.

 

[JJFlash]

Me too. Just woken up and read this. So sad. RIP, big fella!

 

[TheOvalBall]

wow. this is crazy. RIP Big man!

 

[ncurd]

RIP to a true legend of the game.

 

[Bazzy]

Still can't believe it. The most devastating thing is he wanted to live long enough to see his young kids turn 21. It's just unfair that he won't get this chance.

RIP Jonah.

 

[The Jones Boy]

He ws the first rugby superstar, the first player to get a profile outside the regular boundaries of rugby.
Driviang down to Pukekohe it was always a highlight to point out to the kids where Jonah went to school. He was a counties man through and through.
He gave us unforgettable moments in rugby right from the time he burst onto the 7's world scene in 1994.
There was a rare and special feeling about seeing the big man get the ball in space and start to run, it was exciting like very few other players and then the hand offs would come as he bounced opponents out of the way.
One of the most unforgettable All Blacks to play the game.
One of the most unforgettable players to play rugby.
Only 40 years old, gutted to hear the news.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Two NZ'ers i always loved to see in a match was Jonah, and my all time favourite, Christian Cullen.

 

[smartcooky]

Rest in peace Jonah. You were my childhood hero growing up, I was still in pre school when you ran over Mike Catt, but my fondest memories of you include you partnering Joeli Vidiri on the wings for Counties (A combination that is hard to best!!)

Old enough to remember the nickname the two of them had?

Jonah redefined the wing position as some famous teammate had said: "there had been guys as big as Jonah before, only difference was that they weren't wingers".

Not quite scrumbum. It was Colin Meads who said "I've seen a lot players like him, but none of them were playing on the wing."

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Tragic, just tragic.

 

[Bee]

What devastating days these are.
Jonah was long time one of the faces + icons of Rugby, made it popular and known.
Very, very sad.
RIP

 

[YoungScud]

Could not have put it better! RIP to the man known by everyone, rugby supporter or not!

Well put Tony. My American wife, when I first met her, knew only two words about rugby. Jonah and Lomu. He trnscended the game, and went a long way toward making it the global game it is now. A member of our club recently went to England to watch an RWC game and posted a picture of himself with Jonah. How much will he treasure that moment now? We will all miss him, but we won't forget him.

 

[munstermuffin]

Let's not forget to the greatest game of rugby on computer was named after him too. I saw a great pic with the slogan 'the game of rugby in heaven just got tougher'

 

[TheOvalBall]

Twitter is ablaze with tributes to Jonah. And rightly so.

 

[Bavarius]

So sad news... Rest in peace, Jonah!