For his fast and effortless style of play, Lomu was once nicknamed the "freight train in ballet shoes", and was celebrated for his ability to shrug off tackles from multiple opponents at once.

He burst onto the international rugby scene during the 1994 Hong Kong Sevens tournament, the same year he made his fifteen-a-side debut.

He was acknowledged as the top player at the 1995 World Cup for his acclaimed 4-try performance in the semi-final against England, even though New Zealand lost the final to the host South Africa.

He shares with South African Bryan Habana the Rugby World Cup all-time try scoring record of 15, which he accumulated in only two tournaments.

Lomu's innovative position as a physically large winger was highly influential; for his impact on the gameplay of rugby union itself, he has been compared with Muhammad Ali, Don Bradman and Tiger Woods in their respective fields.

[19][20][21] In 1995 he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a serious genetic kidney disorder, and the disease had a significant impact on his playing career and wider life.

His passing saw widespread tributes to him and his family, including condolences from Queen Elizabeth II and a haka performed by the pupils of his boyhood primary school.

[24] Lomu was a Tongan speaker; he spent some of his early childhood in Holopeka with his aunt Longo and uncle Mosese,[25] where he spoke the language to fluency.

[31] Lomu started his rugby union career in the forwards, mostly as an openside flanker (no.7), sometimes to the blindside (no.6),[32][33] before switching to the left wing in what he described as the "best move he could have made".

[36] At the age of 19 years and 45 days, Lomu became the youngest All Black test player as he debuted on the wing against France in 1994, breaking a record that had been held by Edgar Wrigley since 1905.

The first try in the English match occurred after Lomu received a pass behind him, beat two defenders and then, after a stumble, ran straight over the top of Mike Catt.

[46] Just before the World Cup final a deal was struck between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (SANZAR) to create the Tri-Nations, an annual round robin competition between the three nations launched with the advent of professionalism in rugby.

[48] Lomu scored a try in a 43–6 victory over Australia in the inaugural match, which has been described by New Zealand Herald journalist David Leggat as "the perfect wet-weather game".

With minutes remaining, the Wallabies led 35 to 34; until Lomu "brushed past a desperate Stephen Larkham to tip-toe down the line and score the winning try".

Lomu was a central figure in the 40 to 29 win, setting up Aaron Mauger for his debut try, and taking an inside pass to blast through for one of his own.

He first needed special clearance from the World Anti-Doping Agency, as one of the anti-rejection drugs he was required to take is on the WADA list of banned substances.

[79] He ended up missing the first season when he injured his shoulder scoring a try in a preseason testimonial match against Martin Johnson's invitational XV.

[82] Lomu made his first appearance in a competitive match since his transplant on 10 December 2005, with a 60-minute effort in Cardiff's away Heineken Cup fixture against Italian club Calvisano.

The match was covered by the BBC rugby show Scrum V.[90] In September 2009, Lomu took part in an amateur bodybuilding contest, finishing second in two categories, including the men's open over-90 kg, and the mixed pairs.

Lomu also made an attempt to take part in a charity boxing event in New Zealand called "Fight for Life" 2011, for which he was the intended captain of the rugby union team.

In addition to English and his parents' Tongan, he also learned to speak in French, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and he had a working proficiency of Russian.

Side effects of Lomu's dialysis treatment led to severe nerve damage in his feet and legs; his doctors warned him that he faced life in a wheelchair if a kidney transplant was not performed soon.

Lomu had been receiving dialysis treatments during his visit to the UK where he was involved in heavy promotional work during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

[115] His passing saw widespread tributes to him and his family, from Queen Elizabeth II to a haka performed by the pupils of his boyhood primary school.

[3][116][117][4] He has been widely described as the first true global superstar of rugby union[5] and as having a huge impact on the game,[6] with comparisons being drawn with Muhammad Ali, Don Bradman and Tiger Woods.

[16] On his game-changing ability, fellow rugby player Kenny Logan stated, "you could talk about Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, that’s what Jonah was, someone who could change games if you gave him the ball wherever he was".

[122] He is portrayed by Isaac Fe'aunati in Invictus,[123] a film chronicling Nelson Mandela's journey with the South African rugby team in the 1995 World Cup.

[125] On 16 November 2018, an exhibition rugby match was held at Aberavon Quins RFC to raise funds for the Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust.

The game was organised by a local rugby fanatic, Stuart Broad, as a means to thank Lomu for having turned out to play for Aberavon Naval RFC 10 years previously.

The event included players from all over Wales, as well as a Welsh male voice choir, a female vocalist, a brass band, Māori war dancers and a fireworks display.