This force of nature, who captivated fans and peers alike, would have turned 45 on May 12
Born on May 12, 1975: New Zealand's Jonah Lomu in action with England's Rory Underwood. Picture: REUTERS / ACTION IMAGES
Jonah Lomu, all 1.95m and 119kg of him, safely stowed the ball in the crook of his left arm while swatting off Tony Underwood with a flick of his right hand and took off towards the line. After 172 years of amateurism, the sport turned professional a few months later. New competitions attracting bigger crowds were created and governing bodies signed lucrative television deals and sponsorship endorsements.As humble off the field as he was intimidating on it, Lomu was the game’s hottest property and reaped his rewards. But even before the end of 1995 there were the first signs of the health problems that would ultimately kill him.
He finished with 37 tries in 63 Tests but those bald statistics do little to convey his enduring effect on the game.
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