PHOTO
LOMU
Directed by Vea Mafile’o, Gavin Fitzgerald
A new documentary telling the story of the late All Black winger Jonah Lomu shows his steadfast heart was close to the silver fern on his chest.
Lomu, the youngest All Black to debut, at the age of 19 in 1994,displays the unshakeable determination that made the Tongan-born athlete’s eight-year stint wearing the black jersey truly legendary.
But inside his discipline-drilled body was a soft heart.
Lomu, who wore the silver fern until 2002, had an insatiable drive to succeed at the highest level.
“I’d risk everything to live the dream I started,” Lomu says in the 107-minute documentary.
But he is also visibly emotional and wiping away tears at times during the film.
Alongside the relentless pressure to perform, there were more battles for this softly spoken giant to fight.
Lomu did not show signs of buckling when his body was “poisoning” him, in his own words, due to the kidney condition, nephrotic syndrome.
In the documentary, Lomu says he did not want any sympathy, so kept the “soul-destroying” diagnosis under wraps, even though the physical contact of rugby “knocked it out” of him.
In the end, the condition required regular dialysis, which he juggled with the sport and a kidney transplant.
“You can try to break me physically but you can’t break my mind,” Lomu says.
“All Blacks don’t get tired.”
The film features archival footage of the star, interviews with family members, mentors, coaches, a psychologist and others, and has a soundtrack of traditional Tongan music.
Lomu scored 37 tries in 73 matches and scored 215 points for the All Blacks.
Lomu was raised in Māngere, South Auckland and played in Wesley College’s first XV from the age of 14.
Lomu died 11 years ago, by cardiac arrest, at the age of 40.
In the documentary, Lomu’s mother, Hepi, describes how deeply she felt his loss.
“It’s a deep pain when you lose the fruits of your womb,” she says.