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IOL News
15 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Rugby World Cup 1995 I Jonah Lomu — the All Blacks wrecking ball that changed the face of rugby
Joost van der Westhuizen had a numbing pre-match injection on a rib injury and then played the game of his life in the 1995 World Cup final, inspiring his team with a legendary tackle on Kiwi Jonah Lomu. File photo Joost van der Westhuizen had a numbing pre-match injection on a rib injury and then played the game of his life in the 1995 World Cup final, inspiring his team with a legendary tackle on Kiwi Jonah Lomu. File photo The enduring image of the 1995 Rugby World Cup is of Nelson Mandela, dressed in Francois Pienaar's No 6 jersey, awarding the Webb Ellis Cup to the Springbok captain, but also etched into immortality is the scene of utter destruction when Jonah Lomu scored against England in the semi-final. Lomu scored four that day, but the one the world will never forget was when he ran over Mike Catt, rendering the fullback a mangle of spread-eagled arms and legs, while behind them, bulldozed into the Newlands turf, were fellow casualties, Will Carling and Tony Underwood. No wonder Carling called the juggernaut 'a freak'. Freakish the 20-year-old was. The rugby world had never seen the like of him before, and there hasn't been anyone quite like him since. At a towering 196cm (6 ft 5 in) and weighing 125 kilograms, he was bigger than the locks at that World Cup, but here he was on the left wing. With that muscular bulk and the pace of a sprinter (he was a hurdles record holder at school in South Auckland), he was a runaway train. Coaches across the World Cup wondered how to stop him. If he was presented with an outside gap, he had the pace to show a clean pair of heels. Go low and he ran over you. Go high and he went over you anyway. He was like Gulliver swatting off Lilliputians. As Carling added, 'I've seen men bigger than Lomu, I've seen men faster than Lomu, I've seen men stronger than Lomu, but I've never seen a man bigger, faster and stronger than Jonah.' Lomu, the son of immigrant Tongans, was the perfect attacking storm and rugby's first superstar. Soon, there would be a wax model of him in London's Madame Tussauds museum. In New Zealand, fast food giant McDonald's renamed their biggest offering the Jonah Burger. He had debuted for the All Blacks a year earlier, in 1994, when playing two Tests against France. He was the youngest ever All Black at 19 years and 45 days. A hard-to-believe fact is that Lomu, who had seen little ball in the games against France, almost did not go to South Africa. Unconvinced All Blacks coach Laurie Mains has said Lomu was one of his last selection choices for the 1995 World Cup. On the fast, dry pitches of South Africa, the Lomu phenomenon exploded. His seven tries for a tournament is a World Cup record shared with Springbok left wing Bryan Habana (2007 World Cup). The two share the record for most tries in World Cups (15). Lomu scored his 15 in 11 World Cup games (across two World Cups) while Habana's tally was spread across three World Cups. But it was not just the number of tries Lomu scored, it was how he scored them. With his head shaved but for a small quiff on his forehead, thunderous thighs, and a ferocious glare, he scorched through defences like a blazing comet. For the game of rugby, the Lomu explosion in 1995 could not have been better timed because that World Cup was the farewell to the amateur game. As the dust was settling on the Springboks' win, leading players across the world were secretly discussing how they could force the International Rugby Board to embrace professionalism. They got it right. Lomu gave professional rugby an instant face. He was a marketing guru's dream come true. It was around him that the professional game was launched. There was no need for a publicity campaign as to why rugby players deserved to be paid. Lomu had done it all by himself. As the website put it, 'For the seven years of his career, he was a lightning rod for rugby's advance into the uncharted waters of a money game that had to be shared, finally, by players who had seen the monetary rewards for their labours go into the bank accounts of those controlling rugby unions, which held those finances in iron fists.' Sadly, Lomu was stricken with a kidney illness early in his career and forced into retirement early. He played his final Test, his 63rd, having scored 37 tries, in 2002. He played his last first-class game in 2006, ending a career in which he scored 126 tries, shared in a World Cup Sevens title, and won a gold medal in Sevens at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. In 2015, one of rugby's most poignant off-field moments occurred when the ill Lomu visited wheelchair-bound Joost van der Westhuizen at the latter's home. The pair had been fierce rivals on the field — one of the great moments of the '95 final was when Lomu got the ball in space but was tackled around his ankles by the determined Van der Westhuizen. That tackle gave the Boks the belief that they could stop Lomu. Intriguingly, Lomu never scored a try against the Springboks in his career. Lomu, fighting back tears, said to Joost, who was suffering from Motor Neuron Disease, 'You know what… the most satisfying thing is that I can call you my friend.' Such is the power of rugby to forge comradeships. Truly special. Later that year, Lomu died suddenly when the kidney a friend had given him was rejected by his body. He was 40. Van der Westhuizen died in 2017 at age 45. Lomu, rugby's first global superstar, is to the sport what Muhammad Ali was to boxing, Michael Jordan to basketball, Tiger Woods to golf, and Usain Bolt to sprinting. He was that good. Mike Greenaway is the author of the best-selling books The Fireside Springbok and Bok to Bok.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Women's Rugby World Cup trophy unveiled for 2025 tournament on 100 days to go
By Milly McEvoy, Sportsbeat A new Women's Rugby World Cup trophy that symbolises growth and player power has been revealed with 100 days to go until the 2025 edition of the tournament. The new trophy was unveiled at Battersea Power Station by two former champions, Rachel Burford and Gill Burns. Both were part of a player consultation group around replacing the previous trophy which had been used between 1998 and 2022. 'It was a discussion after the World Cup in 2022 and we were just talking about the power and the influence and the growth of the women and girls' game,' Sally Horrox, director of women's rugby at World Rugby, said. 'And what we could do around this competition in 2025 to really celebrate that. This is a global celebration of rugby and the biggest global celebration of women's rugby ever so we were looking at different ways to mark this moment. 'One of which is having the final at Allianz Stadium, another is the record-breaking ticket sales, and this trophy is part of that. 'It is a symbolic moment that reflects that power, the growth and the momentum.' The trophy, which stands at 36cm and weighs 4.5kg, is made of sterling silver but, unlike the previous trophy, is gold-plated, linking it to the Webb Ellis Cup, the men's Rugby World Cup trophy. The decision to upgrade the piece of silverware, as well as its design, was made in consultation with the players and sees it keep the two handles, which were a defining feature of the previous cup. That trophy had come under critique for being small, however, Horrox insisted that was not behind the decision for a new design. She added: 'That wasn't the driving force behind the change because if you spoke to the players that did lift the trophy – and we did consult them – it had a hugely special place in their heart. 'It is a fair observation on the size, but when we spoke to players, it meant a great deal to them. 'But what they also recognised was that this moment now in 2025 is really a pivot point and a point at which we start to look forward to where the game will go, can go, should go. 'And they wanted to take the opportunity to mark the moment and do something that looked forward. 'It is more about looking forward to the size of the opportunity that looks ahead of us.' Former England players Burford and Burns were joined by New Zealand legends Fiao'o Fa'amausili and Farah Palmer as part of a nine-player consultation group. Burford was part of the most recent England team to lift the trophy in 2014 and was pleased to see elements of the old design kept in the new one. She said: 'We've had some really good player consultations with a number of former captains who have lifted the trophy. 'It is one of those things that, at the time and in the moment, that former trophy means so much to so many people. 'But it was really important that we kept parts of that trophy in this one. It is almost celebrating and remembering and honouring that history being built into this new era, this new bold, exciting, huge, new trophy. 'It shows the space for women's rugby. These are the moments that are really important to be celebrated.'
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Lomu-like: Horan's huge World Cup call for Suaalii
Rugby legend Tim Horan is convinced Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is ready to emerge as a Jonah Lomu-like thunderbolt that could blow open the 2027 World Cup for Australia. Ranked a lowly eighth in the world two years out from Australia's hosting of the 11th global showpiece, the Wallabies will need something special to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time. Horan reckons that X-factor can be the code-hopping Suaalii, who continues to dazzle after making a spectacular man-of-the-match Test debut against England on last year's grand slam spring tour of the UK. "Rugby World Cups, you can identify with certain players - Jonah Lomu in '95 and David Campese all those years ago in '91 and Joseph Suaalii's got the chance to do that," Horan told AAP. "He's an athlete first and a footy player second and he could play three or four positions in the Wallaby backline and still be outstanding. "So there's still a couple more years to go and he's really learning the game of rugby now and it's a great opportunity for him to be the star of the Rugby World Cup 2027." The two-time World Cup winner's glowing endorsement of Suaalii aptly came on the day the late Lomu would have turned 50. And Sonny Bill Williams fully agrees with Horan. Having also switched from the NRL to the 15-man code, Williams was instrumental in New Zealand's own Rugby World Cup triumph on home soil in 2011. Now he believes Suaalii may well be the game's premier player when the World Cup kicks off October 1, 2027. "Anything's possible," Williams told AAP. "He just needs a bit of time. You can play him anywhere - 13, wing or fullback. For myself, I like him at 13 with more ball in his hands in the air. "But he's a type of player that you can change the game plan around. "He's like Izzy Folau when he came into the scene, so it's exciting times." Suaalii is recovering from a sickening head knock suffered in the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific loss to Queensland last Friday night. With the Tahs needing to win their last three, tough games to squeeze into the finals, Suaalii has been advised to abort his Super season altogether and freshen up for the showpiece British and Irish Lions series. But Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt doesn't subscribe to that approach and hopes to see his chief strike weapon back on the pitch ASAP. "I'm keen to see him keep playing," Schmidt said. "He's missed a few games already this season. He hasn't had that many games anyway so, for Joseph, it's important that he just keep playing when he's fit and available to play." Schmidt also has no issues with Waratahs coach Dan McKellar deploying Suaalii at fullback after he played outside centre on the spring tour. "I'm really happy that Joseph plays wherever Dan needs him to play," he said. "Dan and I have had the conversation. Dan actually asked me, 'Do you want me to play him at 13?' "And I said I just want him with his boots on, playing the game. "One of the beauties of playing 15 is you see the whole game in front of you, and Joseph has had that opportunity. "But, then, they don't use him like a normal 15 either. He comes into the front line on some set plays and ends up in the front line on occasions. "The try against the Brumbies - 15s don't usually take flat balls off lineouts and things like that. "It's just great to see him out there and playing and I thought he was going really well until he got that knock in Friday's game. "But he's OK, and that's the main thing going forward." Rugby legend Tim Horan is convinced Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is ready to emerge as a Jonah Lomu-like thunderbolt that could blow open the 2027 World Cup for Australia. Ranked a lowly eighth in the world two years out from Australia's hosting of the 11th global showpiece, the Wallabies will need something special to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time. Horan reckons that X-factor can be the code-hopping Suaalii, who continues to dazzle after making a spectacular man-of-the-match Test debut against England on last year's grand slam spring tour of the UK. "Rugby World Cups, you can identify with certain players - Jonah Lomu in '95 and David Campese all those years ago in '91 and Joseph Suaalii's got the chance to do that," Horan told AAP. "He's an athlete first and a footy player second and he could play three or four positions in the Wallaby backline and still be outstanding. "So there's still a couple more years to go and he's really learning the game of rugby now and it's a great opportunity for him to be the star of the Rugby World Cup 2027." The two-time World Cup winner's glowing endorsement of Suaalii aptly came on the day the late Lomu would have turned 50. And Sonny Bill Williams fully agrees with Horan. Having also switched from the NRL to the 15-man code, Williams was instrumental in New Zealand's own Rugby World Cup triumph on home soil in 2011. Now he believes Suaalii may well be the game's premier player when the World Cup kicks off October 1, 2027. "Anything's possible," Williams told AAP. "He just needs a bit of time. You can play him anywhere - 13, wing or fullback. For myself, I like him at 13 with more ball in his hands in the air. "But he's a type of player that you can change the game plan around. "He's like Izzy Folau when he came into the scene, so it's exciting times." Suaalii is recovering from a sickening head knock suffered in the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific loss to Queensland last Friday night. With the Tahs needing to win their last three, tough games to squeeze into the finals, Suaalii has been advised to abort his Super season altogether and freshen up for the showpiece British and Irish Lions series. But Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt doesn't subscribe to that approach and hopes to see his chief strike weapon back on the pitch ASAP. "I'm keen to see him keep playing," Schmidt said. "He's missed a few games already this season. He hasn't had that many games anyway so, for Joseph, it's important that he just keep playing when he's fit and available to play." Schmidt also has no issues with Waratahs coach Dan McKellar deploying Suaalii at fullback after he played outside centre on the spring tour. "I'm really happy that Joseph plays wherever Dan needs him to play," he said. "Dan and I have had the conversation. Dan actually asked me, 'Do you want me to play him at 13?' "And I said I just want him with his boots on, playing the game. "One of the beauties of playing 15 is you see the whole game in front of you, and Joseph has had that opportunity. "But, then, they don't use him like a normal 15 either. He comes into the front line on some set plays and ends up in the front line on occasions. "The try against the Brumbies - 15s don't usually take flat balls off lineouts and things like that. "It's just great to see him out there and playing and I thought he was going really well until he got that knock in Friday's game. "But he's OK, and that's the main thing going forward." Rugby legend Tim Horan is convinced Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is ready to emerge as a Jonah Lomu-like thunderbolt that could blow open the 2027 World Cup for Australia. Ranked a lowly eighth in the world two years out from Australia's hosting of the 11th global showpiece, the Wallabies will need something special to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time. Horan reckons that X-factor can be the code-hopping Suaalii, who continues to dazzle after making a spectacular man-of-the-match Test debut against England on last year's grand slam spring tour of the UK. "Rugby World Cups, you can identify with certain players - Jonah Lomu in '95 and David Campese all those years ago in '91 and Joseph Suaalii's got the chance to do that," Horan told AAP. "He's an athlete first and a footy player second and he could play three or four positions in the Wallaby backline and still be outstanding. "So there's still a couple more years to go and he's really learning the game of rugby now and it's a great opportunity for him to be the star of the Rugby World Cup 2027." The two-time World Cup winner's glowing endorsement of Suaalii aptly came on the day the late Lomu would have turned 50. And Sonny Bill Williams fully agrees with Horan. Having also switched from the NRL to the 15-man code, Williams was instrumental in New Zealand's own Rugby World Cup triumph on home soil in 2011. Now he believes Suaalii may well be the game's premier player when the World Cup kicks off October 1, 2027. "Anything's possible," Williams told AAP. "He just needs a bit of time. You can play him anywhere - 13, wing or fullback. For myself, I like him at 13 with more ball in his hands in the air. "But he's a type of player that you can change the game plan around. "He's like Izzy Folau when he came into the scene, so it's exciting times." Suaalii is recovering from a sickening head knock suffered in the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby Pacific loss to Queensland last Friday night. With the Tahs needing to win their last three, tough games to squeeze into the finals, Suaalii has been advised to abort his Super season altogether and freshen up for the showpiece British and Irish Lions series. But Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt doesn't subscribe to that approach and hopes to see his chief strike weapon back on the pitch ASAP. "I'm keen to see him keep playing," Schmidt said. "He's missed a few games already this season. He hasn't had that many games anyway so, for Joseph, it's important that he just keep playing when he's fit and available to play." Schmidt also has no issues with Waratahs coach Dan McKellar deploying Suaalii at fullback after he played outside centre on the spring tour. "I'm really happy that Joseph plays wherever Dan needs him to play," he said. "Dan and I have had the conversation. Dan actually asked me, 'Do you want me to play him at 13?' "And I said I just want him with his boots on, playing the game. "One of the beauties of playing 15 is you see the whole game in front of you, and Joseph has had that opportunity. "But, then, they don't use him like a normal 15 either. He comes into the front line on some set plays and ends up in the front line on occasions. "The try against the Brumbies - 15s don't usually take flat balls off lineouts and things like that. "It's just great to see him out there and playing and I thought he was going really well until he got that knock in Friday's game. "But he's OK, and that's the main thing going forward."
France 24
01-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Kiss faces little time to set Wallabies on path to home World Cup glory
Kiss was announced on Wednesday as Joe Schmidt's replacement, but only from mid-July 2026 so he can see out his contract with the Queensland Reds. The former Australia rugby league international has been tasked with transforming the Wallabies into a World Cup-winning side, a feat last achieved in 1999 under Rod Macqueen. Since then Eddie Jones (2003, 2023), John Connolly (2007), Robbie Deans (2011) and Michael Cheika (2015, 2019) have all failed to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. Schmidt told reporters that he and Kiss were "of the same ilk" and their close working relationship meant he had no fears about his successor's short lead-up to the World Cup, to be played in October-November 2027. "We share a lot of the same philosophy, albeit with a slightly different approach in some areas. I think that like-minded philosophy will allow a pretty smooth transition," Schmidt said. Schmidt and Kiss are long-time collaborators, notably as head coach and assistant with Ireland, where they won three Six Nations titles. New Zealander Schmidt was installed to restore the Wallabies' reputation after they slumped to 10th in the world following a horror 2023 World Cup under Jones, crashing out at the group stage for the first time. Long-term project While he is credited with bringing stability and a new work ethic, Australia are still only ranked eighth with Schmidt presiding over six wins and seven defeats. They need to climb into the top six to avoid being in the same pool at the 2027 showpiece as heavyweights such as holders South Africa, New Zealand or Ireland. Schmidt, who was due to stand down for family reasons after the Rugby Championship this year but will now stay on through to mid-2026, said reviving the Wallabies was a long-term project and Kiss was the right man to see it through. Last year Schmidt fielded 19 debutants and now has a solid core of players who have committed to Australian rugby until at least the World Cup. "We're not chasing targets, we're building behaviours," said 59-year-old Schmidt. "It's people first. Build what you need from the bottom up, rather than chasing the top end of things. "Success for me is getting the performance behaviours right. Getting the culture right." It is from that strived-for base that Kiss will assume control, and the Queenslander was singing from the same hymn book when the pair spoke to the media together on Wednesday. "If your culture is strong, you can go far," said the 60-year-old Kiss, adamant he had no intention to "rip and tear". "I'm going to make sure I dovetail as much as I can and I'll bring my points of difference into play, but we have a lot of things in common," added the former rugby league wing. "We're a bloody talented country and we can play the game, so I'm looking forward to the challenge." 'Minimal disruption' Rugby Australia had looked at the idea of allowing Kiss to coach both the Reds and the Wallabies, but opted against that. As a result they avoided having to pay an early release fee to Queensland, a handy saving after lodging an Aus$36.8 million (US$23.5 million) deficit in 2024. The governing body is anticipating a record surplus this year on the back of the British and Irish Lions tour from July to August, which will springboard them into the Kiss reign and the home World Cup. "RA made clear from the outset our goal was achieving continuity with the Wallabies and minimal disruption to Super Rugby clubs," said RA chief executive Phil Waugh. "We are confident we have landed on the best possible outcome which allows Australian rugby to enter its next, exciting chapter with confidence and clarity."
The South African
24-04-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Three World Cup winners who won't play for Springboks again
Over the next two seasons, the Springboks are set to enforce a carefully balanced strategy of squad management in order to ensure the core of their 2023 World Cup-winning squad can still be available for the defence of the Webb Ellis Cup in 2027. However, one player has already retired this year, and there are two others also unlikely to play again at Test level. Deon Fourie Many may have forgotten that Fourie was actually serving as the on-field captain for the Springboks in the dying stages of the 2023 World Cup final, having filled a crucial role as the back-up hooker after an injury to Malcolm Marx. Fourie was invited to the first Springbok alignment camp of the year, but he has sadly just suffered a broken tibia that is likely to keep him out of action for the rest of 2025. Considering that the veteran forward will turn 39-years-old, it simply stands to reason that he won't feature for the Springboks again as they look to blood the next generation of talent alongside other stalwarts that can make it to the 2027 World cup. Trevor Nyakane Another loyal servant of Springbok rugby, Nyakane suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon earlier this year and is facing a long road to recovery. Even before the injury, it is understandable that as the Springboks began a new four-year World Cup cycle, Nyakane was one of the players who has not received much regular game-time since 2023. He will soon turn 36-years-old, and it unfortunately does appear that his days in the green and gold are now behind him. Steven Kitshoff One of the saddest stories in South African rugby at the start of this year was the premature retirement of Kitshoff due to a serious neck injury. The powerful prop established an unforgettable legacy over his illustrious career, and the Springboks will certainly miss his presence on the field as it was initially hoped that the 33-year-old could push through to 2027. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news. Meanwhile, here is an important reminder on ticket sales for the Springbok men's game against Argentina in the Rugby Championship at Twickenham in October. Tickets are on sale via and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s. Hospitality packages are also available on (*booking fees apply)
