McCaw pays tribute to rugby ‘legend’ Lomu

He was voted Newcomer of the Year by the worldwide Rugby Players’ Association the following year and was named All Blacks captain for the first time in 2004, when regular skipper Tana Umaga was rested.

The flanker was true icon of the sport, winning over 90% of his 148 Test matches, whilst winning the World Player of the Year award on three occasions in 2006, 2009 and 2010. I think the whole of Tonga is in mourning at the moment. “Having been involved in the majority of those Test matches, I can’t recall him ever playing a bad game”.

Shortly after announcing himself at the 1995 World Cup, Lomu was diagnosed in late 1995 with the rare kidney disorder nephrotic syndrome, which eventually forced him out of the worldwide scene in 2002 at the age of 27.

“Deep down I suppose I didn’t want to shut the door totally”, McCaw said.

“There was a huge aura about him, you would feel it even when you just sat around talk talking with him”.

“It went professional after that World Cup and it was nearly like Jonah was a professional athlete in amongst a bunch of amateurs”. I wanted to make it about the team and not the individuals and make sure I’ve made the right decision. He was close to a few of our parents and I knew him through my own rugby connections. You changed the game of rugby and will be sorely missed.

Smiths Aaron and Ben became the first and only New Zealand players to have won a Super Rugby and World Cup title in the same year.

The announcement came within a day of death of legendary former winger of New Zealand, Jonah Lomu.

Champion All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has confirmed his retirement at a press conference in Wellington on Thursday.

“With regards to whether this All Blacks team is the greatest ever – that’s for other people to say. We play the game to make you proud and I hope I have managed to do that over the years”.

“The night before a game I used to list the two teams and I said in a team meeting “there’s absolutely nobody I’d swap man for man”.

“I promise my dear husband, all that we said we were going to do together, I will do everything and more…you blessed the world with your presence and now the world will celebrate the great man you were and will always be”.

McCaw has been hailed by New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen as the greatest ever All Black, both for his achievements and his longevity.

“Anyone who was living in New Zealand in the 1990s would not have failed to notice the massive impact Jonah Lomu had not only on sports fans but the wider community in this country”, Sports Minister Jonathan Coleman said.

Star fly-half Dan Carter articulated the rugby world’s shock that Lomu had finally succumbed to the kidney disease that curtailed his playing career.

“Richie has been the most influential player of his generation, if not of all time”, he said.