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World of sport remembers New Zealand rugby great Jonah Lomu

| 18.11.2015
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

Matt Haynes | November 18, 2015

With the world of sport rocked by the sudden death of former New Zealand rugby star Jonah Lomu, Coral look at some of the Twitter tributes flooding in for the hugely talented, yet nevertheless humble giant, who at 40 tragically passed away, losing his battle with a rare kidney disease.

Twitter reacts

No sooner had the news broke about Lomu’s death, than celebrities from all fields the world over took to Twitter to share their tributes to a legend of, not just the game, but mankind.

Italian football star, Alessandro Del Piero shared his thoughts.

Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas also had stirring words.

Many even paid tribute to what an inspiration that Lomu was on them, their careers and ultimately, their lives.

Wales footballer Robert Earnshaw was one of these who echoed this particular sentiment.

Fellow professional, Matt Dawson revealed Lomu’s inspirational effect.

Also keen to express his thoughts was former rugby league star Keith Senior, who remembered one of his favourite moments of the All Blacks star in action.

Recent World Cup winner with the All Blacks, Ben Smith also revealed his devastation at waking up to the news that one of his heroes had died.

A gentle giant

His imposing presence and lightning speed characterised his worldwide collective opinion of being the best in the world, and was, at his best unstoppable. However, he was also a genuinely nice man who had time for anyone.

Comparable to fellow sporting stars, Muhammed Ali and Pele, Lomu was rugby union. The term legend is often thrown about too easily, however, in this case Lomu was exactly that and his passing is a true loss to the world of sport.

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Author

Matt Haynes

A long-suffering Leeds fan, Matt studied Sports Journalism at university, and has a plethora of multi-industry experience. Having worked on behalf of multiple hedge funds and top-tier investment banks in executive search, he has also had a stint with the BBC and the Press Association. Outside of work, he pursues entrepreneurial activities and likes to keep fit.
Although he has interviewed current England manager Roy Hodgson as well as Rafa Benitez and a number of other names, he is honoured to have spent time in the company of Gordon Banks. Matt enjoys cultivating long-lasting professional and personal relationships, is solution orientated, and supports Coral’s sports content provision.