Lomu memorial to be held at Eden Park

All Black legend Jonah Lomu will be farewelled at Eden Park.
All Black legend Jonah Lomu will be farewelled at Eden Park.

A public service for Jonah Lomu will be held at Eden Park on Monday, Prime Minister John Key has announced.

The service will be held at the Auckland stadium from 1pm to 3pm.

"Jonah touched people's lives across the country and around the world," Mr Key said.

"This service will be open to all members of the public who want to remember the significant contribution Jonah made, not only to rugby here and overseas, but also to the wider community through his work with charities such as Unicef and Kidney Kids NZ.

"The service will be a celebration of Jonah's life and I expect a large number of people will want to be there."

Lomu family spokesman John Hart said the family were continuing to obviously struggle and last night had a visit from up to 40 past and present All Blacks players and coaches.

"Nadene, I think, has come through a period of shock and is now starting to get more balance about what's happening. It's been a very difficult time for her and the children," Hart said.

"Last night they had a visit from up to 40 past and present All Blacks and coaches, who came and spent time with Nadene and the family and Jonah."

Hart said this was a "very, very special" time for Nadene.

Hart said the family were "extremely grateful" that the Government has suggested a memorial service at Eden Park.

"Obviously this is a great way for us to celebrate the life of Jonah," Mr Hart said.

Hart also talked about the separate "community orientated" memorial event at the Vodafone Event Centre in Manukau on Saturday.

"Which will be primarily aimed at the many communities who are wanting to pay their respects to the family and to Jonah," he said.

"Normally that might be done at a home. That's just not practicable with the size of this."

Standing alongside Hart this afternoon was Lomu's brother John, former All Black Michael Jones, widow Nadene's father Merv and former Samoa player Dylan Mika.

Hart said: "Auckland Council are working with John and Dylan and Michael in bringing together these community groups so that they can come out and pay their respects."

Hart said the Monday event was a great opportunity to celebrate Lomu's life.

"There is such huge international interest in Jonah that we feel this is the most appropriate way."

About the memorial event at Eden Park next Monday, Hart said:

"We [are] obviously only now just starting to put together the framework of that day. So you have to bear with us if we're not able to give you details.

"But we want to make it a celebration. We want to invite all the public, we want a big crowd to come to Eden Park. We've chosen Eden Park because it's the spiritual home of rugby and somewhere Jonah loves so much."

Hart said there was a lot of grieving going on but the family were now focused on trying to remember "this special person".

"And the whole concept of what we've got now - putting it in place to ensure that we give Jonah the best send-off that he obviously deserves as one of the great, great New Zealanders."

Hart said the two separate events was in some ways due to the scale of just how many people want to remember Lomu, but also because of certain cultural practices.

"The Tongan community, the Samoan community, would like to some and pay their respects. Probably that's not as public, they would like to do that with the family. So that's the reason there's a separation."

John Lomu, Jonah's brother, then added: "Basically it's just in regards to the Tongan community and the Samoan community and also our tangata whenua here. That's just what the family would like to have - time for them to come and spent their time with him."

Nadene was not at the Mangere Tongan church service last night because she was not ready to go, Hart said.

He said her public appearances will be at the upcoming memorial events this weekend and early next week.

In addition there will be special 'Aho Faka Famili' (Day of the Family) event allowing Pasifika to pay their respects in their traditional way.

This will be held at the Vodafone Events Centre on Saturday, 28 November from 12pm.

A private funeral for Jonah will be held the day after the public memorial.

Lomu family spokesperson John Hart said family members were grateful to the Government for their support.

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