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Blimey, that's shocking. Seemed a lovely man in interviews.
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![]() RIP |
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Just checked his Twitter page to verify it's not a bad joke
Taking selfies on a holiday in Dubai yesterday and tweeting all week ??? |
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Nothing on bbc website. Where has this come from?
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http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/18/jonah-lomu-dies-aged-40-according-to-reports
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WELLINGTON Nov 18 (Reuters) - All Blacks great Jonah Lomu, rugby union's first global superstar, has died at the age of 40, New Zealand's TV3 reported on Wednesday.
Former All Blacks doctor John Mayhew said Lomu, who had a kidney transplant in 2004, had died unexpectedly on Wednesday morning in Auckland. Lomu played 63 tests on the wing for New Zealand, scoring 37 international tries. |
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True. Reported on several news sites now including Guardian.
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This from the Telegraph just a month or so ago:
He is still battling the problem. In 2011 he had a close encounter with death, when his body rejected the kidney that was transplanted in 2004. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong. It was a battle. I’m lucky enough to still be here.” He needs a second new kidney. And until one can be found, he requires regular dialysis. “I’m in England for the whole Rugby World Cup. I’m an ambassador for Heineken and I’m doing a speaking tour. But it’s also a tour of dialysis units. By the end of it I’ll have learnt the ins and outs of every clinic in the country.” For six hours every other day he is hooked up to a machine that cleans his blood. Where once his routine centred around swatting aside English backs as if they were irritating bluebottles, now it involves lying in a hospital bed. |
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40 no age for the first superstar of the modern era. RIP
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He was certainly a superstar r.i.p..tragic to die so young
How was amazing, he had the build of a forward but the speed of a back, it was incredible such a large man could move so fast I remember in the 1995 WC in S.Africa someone asking the England Manager in the semi finals if he was going to pay special attention to Lomu..he said no need,"Underwood can handle him"...Did he have to eat his words, Lomu scored 4 tries and ran through our backs as if they were not there....nobody ever made that mistake again! When he played he added always to the gates One of the all time great Rugby Players..will be sadly missed r.i.p. |
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Such a sad loss. Jonah changed the way rugby is played today. Before him, backs, especially wingers were smaller fleet footed players, like Gerald Davies, JJ Williams etc. RIP big man.
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Very, very sad news.
I don't like rugby but even I could appreciate what he brought to the game the odd time I saw him play. He seemed such a nice bloke too. |
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He was a star way beyond his own sport .
RIP Jonah |
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Gosh, so young RIP big fella
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I reckon he was the first, and greatest, international superstar of the sport. He transcended the sport more than a McCaw a Carter or a Wilkinson. Who else? some of the welsh wizards? Colin Meads?
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Very sad news. He was a real one off.
Didn't realise he was as young as 40 tbh. |
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FkJ1Wp9iko |
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RIP to a true legend , very sad
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120kgs and 6ft but was as fast as most wingers so a remarkable stature but not a great talent imo, more of a plus size statistic
rugby aside though, considering where he came from and what he became, he brought a lot of happiness to his fans through his exceptional humility and willingness to engage with everyone at anytime, and whether it was despite or because of his illness he transcended the triviality of sport and brought much to and from his community of south auckland, can't help but think of the sad and recent loss of jerry collins from the very similar community of porirua, a shining example of the child of the immigrant who accepts both opportunity and adversity. very sad to hear of his passing. |
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120kgs and 6ft but was as fast as most wingers so a remarkable stature but not a great talent imo, more of a plus size statistic
rugby aside though, considering where he came from and what he became, he brought a lot of happiness to his fans through his exceptional humility and willingness to engage with everyone at anytime, and whether it was despite or because of his illness he transcended the triviality of sport and brought much to and from his community of south auckland, can't help but think of the sad and recent loss of jerry collins from the very similar community of porirua, a shining example of the child of the immigrant who accepts both opportunity and adversity. very sad to hear of his passing. |
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120kgs and 6ft but was as fast as most wingers so a remarkable stature but not a great talent imo, more of a plus size statistic
rugby aside though, considering where he came from and what he became, he brought a lot of happiness to his fans through his exceptional humility and willingness to engage with everyone at anytime, and whether it was despite or because of his illness he transcended the triviality of sport and brought much to and from his community of south auckland, can't help but think of the sad and recent loss of jerry collins from the very similar community of porirua, a shining example of the child of the immigrant who accepts both opportunity and adversity. very sad to hear of his passing. |
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What terribly sad news, he was a Goliath in rugby union, a sport I have played and followed all my life and he was the most devastating player I've ever seen.
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Exactly Slippy. He didn’t have dancing feet like say Jason Robinson or Christian Cullen. It was size and speed and THAT hand off, but that didn’t make him dull in anyway. He was Rugby Union box office without compare.
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Really sad news
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RIP
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RIP
He was a force of nature |
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that famous clip where he ran through (literally) the England defence in the World Cup brings back memories.
I was seething at the time. We had such a good team and I was gobsmacked when they chose short arse Tony Underwood to mark him, when imo the obvious choice was the big Saints fullback (and not the Mott the Hoople vocalist), Ian Hunter. |
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Great player. Saw him interviewed during the World Cup. Sad news indeed.
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A devastating loss, a great man and fantastic athlete. Must have been like trying to stop a giant oaktree from falling down in a gale when he ran at you. Very sad news this morning, RIP big man!
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The more I think about this and reading tributes and watching videos etc, the more desperately sad I realise it all is.
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Agreed.
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"Jonah Lomu put me on the map" - Mike Catt
Personally I think that should read "Jonah Lomu put me IN the map" http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/34862528 RIP Jonah - thank you for the great memories |