I'm not a huge fan of Rugby but my husband and dad are so I had to ask Fritz about why Jonah left such a lasting impression on so many overseas as he's a bit of an anomaly here (unknown?) and he explained that he turned the face of Rugby to making it a professional sport because of how great he was. He also explained that Lomu caught the interest of big multinational companies into sponsoring Rugby which used to be an amateur type sport in the 1980s.
Interestingly enough, he had humble beginnings in Mangere (my local hometown) having migrated from Tonga with his family (as far as I am aware) and then went to local schools of Favona Rd Primary whose students performed at Eden Park. He went to Arahanga Intermediate which is now a Maori Kura (school) and then went to high school at Wesley College (Methodists) who also performed at Eden Park.
It's sad when anyone dies earlier than anticipated, leaving behind a partner/spouse and young children but he also left a legacy which I hope many young people will remember in striving hard to do what you're good at and giving it your best. That is what I will remember him for...
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