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In a society dominated by communication many sports stars have a global success that goes beyond the boundaries of competitive and turns them into social phenomena. Only some of them is reserved the privilege of turning into legend when they are still alive. Siona These Lomu, better known by the name of Jonah, has earned that privilege overwhelming opponents and Fate with his mighty race. Now that he has left the earthly world walking in Mito. A simple cardiac arrest caused by kidney disease who had stopped his career has taken him away from the world yesterday in just 40 years. Moreover, the fate of those like him means mocking the time, burn deadlines, mock calendar. No coincidence that began with the all black jersey of the All Blacks at just 19 years and 14 days a month at the time becoming the youngest debutant New Zealand in a test match. It was a strange opening with a defeat at home, in the fort of Christchurch on June 26, 1994 against France that was imposed to 22-8. Despite the negative perception of all it was to have witnessed the onset of a predestined.
The son of immigrants from the Tonga Islands Lomu grew up in the slums of Auckland, where people like it’s easy to grow, often bad. As a boy he had the terrible experience of attending the murder of an uncle with a machete, a vision that probably never left him. Over there for the children of marginalized Islanders rugby is not just a sport, it is not even a religion, it is the only short cut to a normal life. The school often points the way, and so it was that the Anglican Institute Wesley College gave an opportunity to young Siona. First they changed the name to Jonah, then gave him a pair of boots, a football oval and watched him run. Since then, Jonah did not stop, he knew he had to seize that opportunity on the fly. That or anything else, life had already sent clear messages. Jonah was fast throughout. It did not take long to get to 196 cm of height, as well as to about 118 kg. of weight. But the impressive thing was how quickly shifted this mass to the field. At about 17 years he established his supremacy in the 100-meter dash. Ten seconds and eight tenths, an extraordinary time for a rugby player, especially of that size. From then on the career runs off like lightning, like Jonah. At Wesley College he is now captain, in 1993 is convened in the National Rugby 7, in 1994 made his debut in New Zealand domestic championship with Manuaku Counties. Just a few official meetings in the first team and that is the call by the All Blacks to wear the black jersey that over there say they use is given only borrowed for every game. He’s not wearing it more leverage to 63 times with 37 goals to his credit. Also in just two editions of the World Cup, in 1995 and in 1999, he scored 15 goals and became the absolute record holder, matched only by the South African Bryan Habana few weeks ago in the Rugby World Cup 2015. Lomu, beyond the numbers, represented plastically the passage in rugby from pure amateurism to professionalism, embodying the prototype player of the future, Robocop in a shirt and shorts. After him the pictures of the old Five Nations commented on the unforgettable voice of Paolo Rosi told the players during the week exercised their work of dentists, police officers, lawyers and workers with physical by poor athleticism finally disappear to give way to super -atleti capable of impressive physical performance. He was the first of them. Is there a precise moment when Jonah Lomu passes from the role of sample to that of legend and immortalized by the pictures broadcast worldwide. We are in the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, the one made famous by Nelson Mandela. In the semifinals the New Zealand face England in Cape Town on June 18. After just a minute and a half of play Lomu receives the oval by Comrade Bachop in his favorite position, to the left wing. Between him and the goal there are some English in their white uniforms, but Jonah does not seem to see them. Legs downloading to land a devastating power, each supporting feet raise clods of soil and the British are trying to stop it sacrifices on the altar of the legend. Before Tony Underwood, trampled, then Captain Will Curling, thrown away, eventually the extreme Mike Catt, who Lomu transformed into a soft mat before gliding into the goal. Looking at those images thousands of kids decide to play rugby, Lomu is legend. At that time the giant walked the earth, that the earth is now that same mild.
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