All Blacks great Jonah Lomu farewelled in emotional Eden Park memorial
A Maori mourning chant echoed around New Zealand’s spiritual home of rugby on Monday as New Zealand paid tribute to All Black great Jonah Lomu with thousands of fans packing a memorial service at Auckland’s Eden Park.
A Maori mourning chant echoed around New Zealand’s spiritual home of rugby on Monday as New Zealand paid tribute to All Black great Jonah Lomu with thousands of fans packing a memorial service at Auckland’s Eden Park.
Former All Blacks including Michael Jones and Frank Bunce carried a black casket containing his body on to the field as Lomu’s wife Nadene and sons Brayley (6) and Dhyreille (5), wearing black shirts with the winger’s number 11, followed with heads bowed.
Lomu died unexpectedly at his Auckland home this month aged just 40 from cardiac arrest related to the chronic kidney disease that cut short his playing career.
The memorial ceremony was broadcast live by all major television stations in New Zealand, where Lomu was a beloved figure even among those too young to have seen him in action.
This fantastic man delivered a very great message about rugby to the world ... he terrified defences and thrilled spectators with a brand of running rugby that had never been seen before
Eden Park was a happy hunting ground for the player, who appeared in six tests at the venue and won five of them.
