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sportsmanagement.co.uk No 113 • 8 February 2016
“After seeing Lomu play, media baron Rupert Murdoch was convinced rugby could find a global audience”
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Jonah Lomu
ormer All Black Jonah Lomu died suddenly in November. Just 40 years old at the time of his death, Lomu was rugby’s first global superstar and played a crucial role in professionalising the sport and establishing rugby union as a truly global game.
to be made in galvanising rugby union, turning it into a fully professional sport and making broadcasts available to a global audience. Lomu’s universal appeal and the increased broadcasting revenues helped take rugby to an audience it had previously been unable to reach. It’s no exaggeration to say that Lomu transformed rugby – on and off the pitch – and turned it DEMOLITION JOB Lomu played as a winger but into a global sport. at 6ft 5in tall and 19st, he was Commenting on his career the size of a forward. He burst shortly before his death, Lomu on to the scene at the 1995 said the influence he had on Rugby World Cup in South rugby had only dawned on him Africa, where New Zealand after his retirement. beat England 45-29 and Lomu “The World Cup in South Africa changed everything,” Jonah Lomu, rugby’s first superstar – barely 20 years old – scored four unforgettable tries. Lomu told The Guardian in an Lomu didn’t just run past the England players that interview in August 2015. “When I look at it now, I day, he ran over them. After the game, a bewildered understand my impact more. When they show clips England captain Will Carling said Lomu was “a freak of me on the TV, my sons turn and look at me in awe.” and the sooner he goes away the better.” It was Lomu’s pace that astounded everyone – he BIggEST BATTLE had a 100m personal best of less than 11 seconds. On the pitch, Lomu found running past opponents Teams, at the time largely consisting of amateur effortless, but he faced his biggest battle off it. He players, simply weren’t prepared for somebody like was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a condition him and had no way of stopping him. that severely truncated his career and by 2001 – at the The 1995 World Cup propelled him into the age of 26 – was no longer an automatic pick for the All international spotlight and his performances on Blacks. He was left out of the 2003 World Cup squad. the pitch, coupled with an endearing humility off After his retirement, aged just 32, Lomu took part it, directly led to the sport of rugby union finally in initiatives that promoted sport as a force for good. turning professional a year later. He became a Unicef ambassador and a member of the It was after seeing Lomu play that media baron Champions for Peace club, a group of 54 elite athletes Rupert Murdoch was convinced that there was money committed to peace in the world through sport.
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