This Is Your Life: Jonah Lomu

Jonah LOMU (1975-2015)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Jonah Lomu, rugby union player, was surprised by Michael Aspel while training with the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby union team, in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh.

Jonah, who grew up in a tough gangland district of South Auckland, New Zealand, discovered his love of rugby while attending Wesley College. His talent was spotted early by the All Blacks, and he became their youngest-ever player, making his international debut with them in 1994 at the age of 19. The following year he was widely acknowledged as the top player at the Rugby World Cup in South Africa, scoring seven tries in five matches.

In 1996, he was diagnosed with a serious kidney disorder, which stopped him from playing for several months. However, having recovered, he was recalled to the All Blacks and won a gold medal in the Sevens Rugby event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. He is one of the Rugby World Cup's all-time top try scorers with 15 tries and has been described as the first true global superstar of rugby union.

"I thought I was getting sent off cos I saw the red!"

programme details...

Edition No: 1088
Subject No: 1063
Broadcast date: Fri 11 Jan 2002
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Mon 19 Nov 2001 7.30pm
Repeated: Sun 13 Jan 2002 4.25pm
Venue: BBC Television Centre
Series: 42
Edition: 9
Code name: Whale

on the guest list...

Teina Stace - fiancée
Emile Ntamack
Keith Wood
Kenny Logan
Adrian Garvey
Junior Tonu'u
Tim Horan
Hepi - mother
Semisi - father
Sela - sister
John - brother
Dean Bell
Phil Kingsley Jones
Will Carling
Zinzan Brooke
Max Boyce
Vikki Jones
David Campese
Irene - sister
Sue Barker
Ally McCoist
John Parrott
Noa - brother
Henry - cousin
Chris Grinter
Eric Rush
Robin Williams
patients at the Starship Hospital, Auckland
Andrew Young
Mica Paris

production team...

Researcher: Deborah Cowan
Writer: Joe Steeples
Director: Steve Docherty
Associate Producer: Helen Gordon-Smith
Executive Producer: John Longley
Series Producer: Jack Crawshaw
Producer: Sue Green

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Up and Under

tackling rugby's top names

My Life in Their Hands

The Mirror interviews Michael Aspel

Max Boyce

Screenshots of Jonah Lomu This Is Your Life

New Zealand Herald 21 November 2001

Red book holds Jonah's story

By SCOTT MacLEOD

Jonah Lomu is not easy to bowl over, but a man with a big red book managed to floor him when he caught up with the All Blacks in Edinburgh yesterday.

"Jonah," said television presenter Michael Aspel, "this is your life."

The star winger was taken to London to feature on This Is Your Life, which is regularly watched by millions in Britain.

Efforts to keep the Lomu programme secret were foiled by the Edinburgh Evening News, which is based across the road from the All Blacks' hotel.

The paper said Aspel appeared suddenly at the hotel and "did not flinch when he got the chance to confront the fearsome wing with his big red book".

"The towering star barely had time to get over the shock before he was whisked down south."

The London Times reported that Lomu was "struck dumb" when Aspel went up to him during a training session.

At the London studio, his parents and others who have influenced his life were secretly gathered.

Everyone involved has been sworn to secrecy until the show is screened, probably within two weeks.

Lomu's manager, Phil Kingsley Jones, said Lomu would appear on 20 television shows in Europe over the next month to promote a video about his life in rugby.

The BBC This Is Your Life show could well be seen in New Zealand.

A TVNZ spokeswoman said yesterday: "We're obviously very keen to get our hands on it. We've been on the phone this morning and we're waiting to hear back."

Series 42 subjects