They say time heals but I really don't know when that time arrives....đ¤
When I talk about you Jonah I still cry, when I read and write about you I still cry and today has been a day I have never acknowledged for the past 6 years until now.
While it will never be a day I celebrate, I cannot ignore what I have had to endure since loosing you Jonah and how much I've learnt along the way! Tears flood my eyes, my head hurts, my hands shake, my heart feels shattered and I can't stop the thumping through my chest. I feel sick and I just want to curl up with a blanket over my head and wake up back in yesterday!
I miss you so much Jonah and every day I wish you were still here, still here by my side to help me through as this 6 year battle still isn't over! I will not stop Jonah until it is, you made me promise....I'm over being taken advantage of while in my most vulnerable state of grief and heartbreak, enough is enough! 6 years is beyond bu#*shâŠt!
To everyone that has and continues to support the boys and I, I will forever be grateful and I know Jonah would be too, so thank you from the bottom of my aching heart.
To my parents, I've said it before and I say it again, had it not been for my mum, dad, sisters and sons, I would not be here today to do what I do. My parents have done more than some parents would and even grandparents would do too to be here for the boys and I. Suicide is real guys, when we get pushed hard enough to breaking point we can't see a way out no matter how many people love us! I've felt that way only after loosing my Jonah. WHY, because things happened that never would have happened if Jonah were still here with us today!
Jonah, you and your boys are my strength, your boys are my driving force and reason I will never stop pushing so hard to rebuild our life...I'd give up everything I have for you to still be here with us, every second, every minute, even just one more moment together to feel our love and to smile together like we once did. đ
I love you Jonah and will never stop loving you. Every person I strive to help and serve within my Real Estate career and carrying on your Phenomenal Legacy work together with your boys, I know you glide right by my side.... everywhere I go, every battle I face. If only Heaven allowed visitors, I'd visit you every day.
Growing up, David Kolibasoga looked up to Jonah Lomu as a hero.
As a Fijian boy, seeing someone he could relate to become a legend in the sport David also wanted to pursue a career in, was inspiring. Knowing Lomu had overcome many challenges in his life was both relatable and encouraging.Â
âI watched him quite a bit when I was younger, I wanted to be like him,â the Year 11 Raukura student said.Â
Today, the 16-year-old continues Lomuâs legacy after being named the inaugural recipient of the Jonah Lomu Scholarship, which is a full-fees boarding scholarship that will run for up to three years at Rotorua Boysâ High School, awarded to an outstanding student. Raukura is the only secondary school in New Zealand to provide the scholarship, launched by Lomuâs wife Nadene and his sons Brayley and Dhyreille.
âItâs an honour to be the first.âÂ
Receiving the scholarship has been life-changing for David, allowing him to return âhomeâ after his life was turned upside earlier this year.
David started his secondary education at Raukura in Year 9, but when his mum died he had to relocate to Auckland to live with his uncle in the middle of term two of this year. He was just 15 when his single mum died, losing his biggest supporter.
âBefore my mum passed away she was like my number one supporter,â he said.Â
David said his mum wanted him at Raukura and he was grateful to be able to return to a place that âfeels like homeâ.
âIâd rather be in the hostel here than anywhere else.
âI feel safe and comfortable and confident here [at Raukura] as well.â
Ultimately, David hopes to pass each year with Excellence and receive a rugby contract when he leaves school. He said his mum always knew rugby was his dream and not having her around anymore was motivation to succeed.Â
Nadene said David was a stand-out applicant for the Jonah Lomu Scholarship, having outstanding achievements academically and in sport and his compassion within the community.Â
Last year, David was one of two students praised by police for helping a woman in distress, escorting her to safety and alerting police.
âIt is evident that David has an immense desire to achieve while striving to be a positive influence and helping those around him,â Nadene said.Â
âHis positive attitude in aspiring to do better; to be better, shone through in his application and despite being faced with some very difficult trials and tribulations throughout his life, David has embraced them all, choosing not to give up but to keep striving to reach his dreams.â
Nadene said Jonah was the youngest in All Black History, the first global superstar who changed the face of rugby and continues to inspire people on and off the field and David now carried Jonahâs name and honour. She was confident he would represent the name well.Â
âI believe David will represent our Jonah Lomu name with mana and distinction.â
She congratulated David for his selection as the recipient of the Jonah Lomu scholarship and thanked Raukura principal Chris Grinter and the Raukura team for making this possible.
âI know Jonah would be honoured and I'm truly grateful to be part of helping David be another step closer to achieving his dreams and all that he desires.
âThis is what Jonah and I were working towards; however I'm saddened he isn't here with us today to see how he continues to inspire us all." - Nadene Lomu
Legends Never Die. Jonah Lomu remains in the hearts of his fans across the globe as wife Nadene and their two sons Brayley and Dhyreille enhance his Legacy with an NFT Drop.
Weâre excited to announce that on November 4, Blockassetâs Legends NFTs will be launching on DropZone! The NFTs are inspired by milestones in the athletes sporting careers and each trait is designed to ensure that the athleteâs legacy lives on through the artwork which is created by Dosbrak, who has collaborated with some of the biggest celebrities and athletes in the world; including Joe Rogan, Conor McGregor, UFC, ESPN and Mike Tyson to name but a few.
Legends is the worldâs first multi-athlete generative NFT collection and include official and licensed NFTS from the following iconic athletes: the youngest in All Black History, Jonah Lomu, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Rooney, Michael Bisping, and Alexander Ovechkin.
âJonah would be honoured without a doubt to be part of a lineup amongst some of the Worldâs greatest. To have his Legacy as part of something that I know his global fans would absolutely love too was important, especially because Jonah and I were always so grateful to his global fan family. I spoke with Brayley and Dhyreille to see how they felt about their daddy being part of the collective and together we decided that Jonah being part of the NFT leGENds Collection would be pretty cool and a great addition to the sponsorships and scholarships we currently have in place. Enhancing Jonahâs Legacy for all to enjoy and to continue being inspired by is a big focus of mine so it felt like the right move to make. After all, I do have a promise to keep to Jonah too.âNadene Lomu said.
Jonah Lomu, Greatest All Black of all-time. Greatest All Blacks XV
On the date of his youngest son Dhyreille's birthday, Jonah has been named as the greatest All Black of all-time, along side Sir Bryan Williams and team mate, Christian Cullen by a panel of rugby experts and the Kiwi public.
The panel were unanimous in their verdict that Lomu, the gameâs first and only global superstar, and Cullen, the 60-test veteran who played for the All Blacks between 1996 and 2002, were New Zealandâs greatest left wing and fullback.
Their verdict was supported by the Kiwi public, who voted Lomu (84 percent of the public vote) and Cullen (79 percent) as the best-ever All Blacks in their respective positions on social media.
In doing so, they cemented their places in the Greatest XV ahead of the likes of Joe Rokocoko, Julian Savea, Ron Jarden, Mils Muliaina, George Nepia and Bob Scott.
At right wing, however, there was a three-way tie after the panel of experts couldnât decide between Williams and Jeff Wilson, while the public backed the exploits of all-time leading All Blacks try-scorer Doug Howlett, who garnered 41 percent of the vote.
Former World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry was called on as the âconvener of selectorsâ to pick between the three players for the No 14 jersey, which resulted in Williamsâ selection.
Regarded as a trailblazer of his time, Williams was spoken highly of by Laban for the impact he had off the field as a young Pacific Island player who toured South Africa in the midst of Apartheid during the 1970s as an âhonorary whiteâ.
â1970, a young, Auckland, Pacific Island player, and a law student who was doing his studies out of Auckland University, called Bryan George Williams, was forced to tour South Africa, along with three other players, who was declared an honorary white,â Laban told The Breakdown last week.
âIn some ways, itâs a disgrace, but that image of BG in South Africa, at that time it was segregated, so those honorary whites werenât allowed access to public transport, they werenât allowed access to public health services â all of those things that come along with Apartheid.
âBG became a beacon of hope, a beacon for fairness, for justice, and for equality.â
Laban added: âHe was so high-profile, he was so good, there was so much attention on him â unbelievable sidestep in the in-goal area to get that try under the posts in South Africa â but, in terms of the impact, changing the course of the history of our game, for me, Bryan Williams, the greatest right wing the game has seen.â
Â
While Williamsâ influence off the field was revolutionary, Lomu became an icon in his own right, so much so that many have argued that no rugby player has ever reached the level of fame or celebrity status that the late great achieved.
According to former All Blacks captain and Lomuâs ex-teammate Sean Fitzpatrick, no other player will ever reach Lomuâs star power.
âJonah Lomu is the only global superstar weâll ever have in rugby,â Fitzpatrick told Sky Sport.
âI donât think there ever will be a player like Jonah where you can go to America or go to Brazil and they know who Jonah Lomu is.â
Tana Umaga, another ex-All Blacks captain and former teammate of Lomuâs, saw first-hand how revered he was by international fans.
âWhen you walk down Leicester Square with Jonah Lomu, buses stop, crowds start to form,â Umaga said.
âIt was tough watching him go through that sometimes, and you kind of just get a gauge of how well-known is someone.â
Before he became an All Blacks teammate of Lomuâs, former two-time World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw came up against him at provincial level in the early 2000s.
While playing for Canterbury against Wellington, McCaw soon realised how formidable of a player Lomu truly was.
âYou look at guys that couldnât tackle him, and I was going, âSurely youâll be able to [tackle him] if you just get in lowâ, and I remember the first day I played against him. I tried tackling him twice, and I got nowhere near him,â McCaw said.
Â
âMy respect for everyone that had been shunted off went up a lot, Iâll tell ya.â
McCaw added things became much easier for him once he became teammates with Lomu rather than facing off against him.
âTo have a guy like that alongside you, youâre like, âMan, this is easyâ.â
Ex-All Blacks fullback Laurie Mains was the first New Zealand coach to pick Lomu for the national squad, and he told Sky Sport that a positional switch from loose forward to wing kickstarted the career of arguably the best player in rugby history.
âJonah, simply, was the most dangerous rugby player I think thatâs played the game. He could run around them, he could run over them, he could run inside them.â Mains, who handed a 19-year-old Lomu his All Blacks debut in 1994, said.
âHe played in the Counties sevens team, and Iâd already been told about how great this kid was, and he was a No 8.
âWe watched him, Earl [Kirton, ex-All Blacks assistant coach] and I, and we talked about it, and then, almost together, we said, âHow would he go on the wing?â
âAs a loose forward, he wasnât going to be much bigger, and certainly not tougher, than a lot of the top international loose forwards, so his great ability would be nullified to an extent.
âBut, if we were good enough to develop him as a wing, then he could be something the world has never seen. Fortunately, thatâs the way it turned out.â
John Hart, another All Blacks coach who Lomu played under, said that had the 63-test wing not have battled nephrotic syndrome throughout his career, the world would have seen an even greater version of the player he already was.
âWe never saw him in his peak. We never saw that. He was at 60, 70, 80 percent of his ability when he had his illness,â Hart said.
âIf he had ever been able to go to 100 percent, so he didnât have that [illness], what would we have seen? We saw a colossus as he was, but I think he could have achieved even greater things than we saw. Thatâs how good he was.â
Cullen, meanwhile, was described by Mains as the âmost exciting fullbackâ he had ever seen during his seven-year spell in the All Blacks between 1996 and 2002.
All Blacks Greatest XV
1. Tony Woodcock (118 tests from 2002-2015) 2. Sean Fitzpatrick (92 tests from 1986-1997) 3. Ken Gray (24 tests from 1963-1969) 4. Colin Meads (55 tests from 1957-1971) 5. Brodie Retallick (86 tests from 2012-present) 6. Michael Jones (56 tests from 1986-1998) 7. Richie McCaw (148 tests from 2001-2015) 8. Zinzan Brooke (58 tests from 1987 to 1997) 9. Aaron Smith (101 tests from 2012-present) 10. Dan Carter (112 tests from 2003-2015) 11. Jonah Lomu (63 tests from 1994-2002) 12. Maâa Nonu (103 tests from 2003-2015) 13. Conrad Smith (94 tests from 2004-2015) 14. Bryan Williams (38 tests from 1970-1978) 15. Christian Cullen (60 tests from 1996-2002)
Nadene Lomu, wife of the Legendary Jonah Lomu, continues to work on the projects she and Jonah were developing together prior to his untimely passing.
"As my promise to Jonah, I am determined to continue working on the dreams Jonah and I had to build on his phenomenal legacy, to help inspire our future generations.â
âThrough various Jonah Lomu Scholarships as well as individual and team sponsorships throughout New Zealand and internationally, I have been able to assist in helping others move a few steps closer to achieving their dreams and being able to participate in something they otherwise wouldnât have been able to.
Dealing with my grief and that of our boys, has been more than difficult but through Jonah's JL11 clothing brand, I have been able to continue helping others by giving them a piece of Jonah, in a sense. I know Jonah has and continues to inspire many not only here in New Zealand but around the world too.
When you put on your special piece of Jonahâs JL11 Collection, it's so much more than a t-shirt, a jersey, a cap or even a hoodie, itâs a reminder of believing in yourself and taking the chance to chase your dreams and never giving up, just like Jonah.
Jonah would often tell me that when he was younger, he would say to himself, "When no one else believes in you, you have to believe in you".
Jonah has left a phenomenal imprint globally. In Nadeneâs words, âItâs pretty special having people from the teams Iâve sponsored, to Super Rugby players, All Blacks and even athletes in the fight sports, tell me itâs an honour to wear their Jonah gears and how much they love the clothingâ.
âNowhere outside of New Zealand did Jonah leave a bigger impact than in Hong Kong, where he continues to maintain Legendary status. Not only did he play in HK but visited the HK Sevens many times as an ambassador, which always created the âPied Piperâ effect of how many people, particularly children, who wanted autographs and photos with him, for which he was always so accommodating. Jonah was always happy to be in HK bringing Nadene too, which we considered to be a second home for him. We all miss him but his spirit will always live on in HK.â said former HKRU Chairman Trevor Gregory.
Jonahâs special relationship with Counties Rugby is also recognised by the selection of two Counties recipients annually for the Jonah Lomu Scholarship.
Vice Captain Veveni Lasaqa of the NZ Fijian School Boys team of 2020 who were sponsored to play at the World School Rugby 7's tournament said âAs vice captain of this year's NZ Fiji babas for me personally I would like to thank you for sponsoring us for this year's NZ Fiji babas team, it was a privilege and the boys were more than grateful for your support. Without it none of this would have happened.â
To celebrate Jonahâs birthday this year, Nadene and the boys are launching a new scholarship at Rotorua Boysâ High School with Chris Grinter, who was Jonahâs mentor when he was at school. Nadene will be involved in selecting the recipients of the scholarship, which will enable sporting opportunities for school students from year 11.
âWorking with Jonah Lomu during his high school years has been one of the highlights of my career in education. I am therefore honoured to have been asked by Nadene Lomu to continue my special connection with Jonah through this scholarship.â Chris Grinter said.
Nadene also says, âJonah loved music. Many people donât know he particularly enjoyed programming music selections for an online music radio station.Â
When Raymond Bishop from the MGN-My Greatest Now Band approached me asking if his band could produce a song to honour Jonahâs life, âJonah - Nothing Is Impossible,â especially inspired by Jonah, I suggested Jonahâs birthday, May 12 would be a good time to launch the song worldwide.Â
I feel this is a great way to share his inspiration, especially with the challenges we all face daily.Â
All music lovers will know what I mean that when you listen to the song, you need to turn up the volume to a Jonah volume loud, the louder the better and you can't help but feel moved and uplifted. Everyone will have their own feelings when they listen to the song but for me it brings out many emotions, even ones where I feel I can take on the world......â
âThe song and Jonahâs JL 11 clothing collection, are two ways we can contribute to helping others to not only chase their dreams but to believe in themselves and to be the best they can be. Something that has always been close to both Jonahâs and my Hearts, something I will continue to instil in our boys Brayley and Dhyreilleâ Nadene said.
To download the song, please go to Spotify or iTunes and enjoy.Â
For all other information regarding scholarships, sponsorships, and merchandise, please contact Nadene Lomu.Â
Never would I ever thought a single person could shred my heart into a gazillion pieces, pieces that could never be put back together fully! To this very day, 5 years ago thatâs exactly what happened....Jonah, you tore my world apart with your departure to the point I struggled to breathe đ ....I know youâd give anything to be here with your boys and I right now, as I would too...just one last anything đ˘, everything you ever wanted for us and more, all that we were working for together! đ˘.....thereâs not a moment that I donât wish you were still here. I feel sick, Iâd rather sleep the entire day away and wake up the next morning just to get through but I canât, I canât because your boys need me to be their pillar of strength, they need me to smile even though my insides are hurting and crushed beyond repair. đđ¤đ In my moments of weakness you are my strength, I hear you, I feel you and I know you are watching over us and you still walk by my side! I will always stand to be your voice for what you wanted and believed in but most of all, I stand with your strength to be the best I can be for your boys like you asked me too, no matter what, no matter who thinks they know better....
I will always love you Jonah, my heart will always be yours and our boys will always be my everything in this life and the next, till FOREVER. Yours truly. đĽ - Nadene Lomu
It takes a lot to leave rugby motormouth Keith Quinn speechless and just as much to put a smile on the face of Laurie Mains.
Jonah Lomu achieved both with what remains the greatest individual performance the Rugby World Cup has seen.
Lomu's barging run over the top of England fullback in the 1995 World Cup semifinal in Cape Town was so outrageous that classy Kiwi TV commentator Quinn was literally lost for words as the unbelievable unfolded in front of him.
GETTY IMAGES
All Blacks wing Jonah Lomu charges through the tackle of England fullback Mike Catt for one of his four ties in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal in Cape Town.
Then I witnessed Lomu achieve something I'd never seen before â he had his All Blacks coach Mains actually smiling.
From the comfort of the media benches at the Newlands ground I watched history unfold in front of me as a baby-faced Lomu shredded England with the signature performance of his outstanding career.
STUFF
Jonah Lomu gets a halftime pat on the back from All Blacks coach Laurie Mains during the 1995 World Cup.
Mains was seated not far away. After Lomu scored the fourth of his remarkable tries on that historic day, I turned to see what Laurie's reaction was.
He was beaming. The normal furrows had gone, his face alight with a huge smile. Mains knew he and his team were heading to the final.
But he also knew he had someone truly special in his ranks. Like everyone at the ground, he was incredulous at the deeds of the hulking man in the black No 11 jersey.
It took a lot to make Laurie Mains smile. He was a hard taskmaster, an earnest coach, firm but fair, totally dedicated to his teams and a quest for success.
Fairly or unfairly, some of us media had dubbed him "Funeral Face" but his face was joyful as his team buried England.
Mains took charge of the All Blacks at a dark time, when they were emerging from their 1991 World Cup semifinal defeat. Slowly but surely he transformed them. While his crowning glory sadly wasn't the 1995 world title, he did oversee the belated emergence of a flowing style of rugby that had Lomu providing the exclamation marks.
ALLSPORT
Giant All Blacks wing Jonah Lomu was unstoppable during the 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal.
Lomu's notorious training struggles certainly didn't endear him to his coach. At that point no one knew of Lomuâs struggles with his illness aside from his doctor. Despite his medical condition, he never gave up!
Lomu persisted, fighting extra hard with his fitness during the buildup camps to convince Mains he was worthy of a chance on the sport's biggest stage.
Lomu's next test was the World Cup opener against Ireland in Johannesburg, where he scored his first two test tries.
He was under way with bigger things to come.
Laurie was laughing â he and Lomsmiles were appearing on more than the All Blacks and their fans.
STUFF
All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick leads the support runners as Jonah Lomu rampages through England in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal.
Lomu was one of those rare sporting icons who had the ability to cheer people from any nationality and any walk of life.
His Cape Town capers were the stuff of dreams for the faithful band of coloured supporters living there, who would rather back Lomu than the Springboks.
Never would I ever thought a single person could shred my heart into a gazillion pieces, pieces that could never be put back together fully!
