adminJOHANNESBURG. — South Africa’s sports minister Fikile Mbalula has paid tribute to Jonah Lomu after the All Black legend passed away yesterday. Mbalula, a vocal rugby lover, said via a statement that Lomu was one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. “Lomu was regarded as one of the greatest rugby players of our times,” Mbalula said.
“Many rugby careers across the world have been shaped with Lomu as the role model. “He was one of our most influential and powerful players. We send our condolences to his rugby home the All Blacks, to his family and friends and to all rugby loving people. The world mourns with you.”
Lomu was capped 63 times at international level, scoring 37 tries. For all of the hype, and it never got bigger than at the 1995 World Cup final, Lomu never scored a try against the Springboks.
But that didn’t change a thing in terms of how much the men in green and gold respected the man credited with almost single-handedly pulling world rugby into the professional era. — AFP.
Online Reporter