Story highlights
- Rugby legend dies, age 40, in Auckland
- Lomu scored 37 tries for the All Blacks
- Player had long suffered from kidney disease
(CNN)Former New Zealand international rugby star Jonah Lomu, widely regarded as one of the game's finest players ever, died in Auckland early Wednesday aged 40, according to New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew.
"I can confirm the incredibly sad news that we've lost another All Black great. (Jonah Lomu) died at his home this morning," Tew said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon local time.
An earlier statement by Tew on the official New Zealand Rugby Union Twitter account said:
"We're all shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden death of Jonah Lomu.
"We're lost for words and our heartfelt sympathies go out to Jonah's family... Jonah was a legend of our game and loved by his many fans both here and around the world."
Lomu's family also confirmed the news and appealed for privacy.
Tew said that few details about Lomu's sudden, unexpected death were known at this point but that the rugby community should reflect on the contribution that he had made. Since bursting onto the scene in the mid-1990s his "contribution to the game brought it to another level. He was probably the game's first superstar."
Tributes pour in
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key expressed his condolences on Twitter.
"Deeply saddened to hear of Jonah Lomu's unexpected passing this morning," he wrote. "The thoughts of the entire country are with his family."
Former teammates and fellow All Blacks also added to the chorus of praise for an exceptional player.
Dan Carter, who helped New Zealand win the 2015 World Cup in his final international match, posted a short message on his Facebook page, sending his condolences to Lomu's family.
Lomu's first international captain, Sean Fitzpatrick, shared the sentiment and called him "a very special person."
"Jonah was one of Auckland's greatest sons," Auckland Mayor Len Brown said.
"He was an icon who New Zealanders from every walk of life respected both for his prowess on the rugby field and for the way he dealt with his health issues."
The Australian Rugby Union team's official Twitter account put aside traditional All Black-Wallabies rivalries to honor the rugby great, saying "Our thoughts go out to Jonah Lomu's family, (the) All Blacks, and the rugby community. A legend of the game."
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Jonah Lomu, a former rugby player from New Zealand widely regarded as one of the game's finest players, died in Auckland, New Zealand, on November 18. He was 40. Lomu's career was cut short when he was diagnosed with Nephrotic syndrome, a kidney condition, and he underwent a kidney transplant in 2004.
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New York Times media columnist David Carr died suddenly after collapsing in the newspaper's newsroom on Thursday, February 12. He was 58.
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"60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon died Wednesday, February 11, in a car accident in New York, CBS News reported. He was 73.
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Jerry Tarkanian, a legendary basketball coach who won the 1990 national championship at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, died Wednesday, February 11. He was 84.
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Basketball coach Dean Smith, who led the University of North Carolina from 1961 to 1997 and won two national championships over his illustrious career, died February 7 at the age of 83, according to the university's official athletics website.
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Billy Casper, a pioneer of professional golf whose career spanned more than four decades, died at the age of 83, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on February 7. His resume included three major titles and 51 PGA Tour wins.
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Charles Sifford, the first black player on the PGA Tour, died on February 3, according to Derek Sprague, president of the PGA of America. Sifford was 92.
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Australian writer Colleen McCullough, who wrote the best-selling novel "The Thorn Birds," died on January 29. She was 77.
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Longtime New York City radio and television personality Joe Franklin died January 24 at the age of 88.
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Ernie Banks, a Hall of Fame baseball player nicknamed "Mr. Cub," died January 23 in Chicago, family attorney Mark Bogen said. Banks was 83.
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Anne Kirkbride, who starred in the UK soap opera "Coronation Street" for more than 40 years, died on January 19. She was 60.
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Hip-hop artist A$AP Yams, one of the founding members of A$AP Mob, died at the age of 26, the group's Facebook page said on January 18. It wasn't immediately clear how he had died.
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The death of punk music producer Kim Fowley was announced on January 15. He was 75. Fowley worked with a wide range of artists, including Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Modern Lovers, Blue Cheer, Kiss and Helen Reddy. But he will be likely be remembered most for helping form the Runaways.
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Anita Ekberg, the actress and international sex symbol best known for her role in "La Dolce Vita," died in Italy on January 11. She was 83.
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Actor and comedian Taylor Negron died after a long battle with cancer, according to his family on January 10. He was 57.
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Andrae Crouch, a seven-time Grammy winner and gospel music legend, died January 8 at a Los Angeles-area hospital, his publicist said. He was 72.
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Australian-born actor Rod Taylor, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "The Birds," died on January 7 in Los Angeles. He was 84.
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Edward Brooke, the first African-American to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate, died January 3, according to family spokesman Ralph Neas and the Massachusetts Republican Party. Brooke was 95.
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Stuart Scott, a veteran anchor on ESPN, died January 4 after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was 49.
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Country music star Little Jimmy Dickens, a fixture at the Grand Ole Opry for decades, died January 2 after having a stroke on Christmas, according to the Opry's website. He was 94.
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Donna Douglas, who played voluptuous tomboy daughter Elly May Clampett on the 1960s TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies," died January 2. She was 81.
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Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, whose passionate keynote address at the 1984 Democratic political convention vaulted him onto the national political scene, died on January 1. He was 82.
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Lomu was one of the game's all-time greats, scoring 37 tries in 63 Tests for the All Blacks in an international career spanning eight years, from 1994 to 2002. His career total, including club games and rugby sevens games -- of which he was also a double world champion -- was 160 tries over 212 games, a comparatively short career.
Originally a rugby league player, he switched codes in time for his breakout tournament, the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.
In that tournament, he steamrollered over teams, scoring seven tries, and most notably demolished England with a four-try performance in the semifinals. Dubbed the "Muhammad Ali of rugby," by then-England captain Will Carling, Lomu's blistering speed and strength meant that he could sprint 100 meters (109 yards) in under 10.8 seconds, despite weighing 120 kg (265 lb).
Asked about his favorite memories of Lomu, Tew said: "Anybody of my generation will remember a World Cup game where he ran over a couple of guys in white shirts," referring to the hapless 1995 England team.
He is the joint-highest try scorer at the Rugby World Cup, joined this year by South Africa's Bryan Habana. He also is the holder of the record for most meters made in World Cup competition, at 1,219m (4,999 ft). He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in October 2011.
New Zealand's rugby passion 05:13
Career cut short
A stellar career was likely cut short by a rare kidney condition, Nephrotic syndrome, which he was diagnosed with in 1995. He underwent a kidney transplant in 2004.
He had returned to New Zealand from the United Kingdom hours before his death, according to CNN affiliate TVNZ, where he was acting as a corporate spokesperson for events surrounding the Rugby World Cup, which concluded at the end of October. New Zealand won that final against rival Australia 34-17.
