Dan Carter pays an emotional tribute to Jonah Lomu as he collects the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award - Ruck

Dan Carter pays an emotional tribute to Jonah Lomu as he collects the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award

Former All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter paid an emotional tribute to Jonah Lomu after picking up the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award.

Carter and wife Honor attended the glitzy evening in Belfast after he played for his French club Racing 92 in England over the weekend.

The 33-year-old Carter ended his international career by leading New Zealand to World Cup glory in England in the summer.

But the victory was overshadowed by the death of Lomu — who won the same award in 1995 — in November.

“He is an absolute legend of the sport and it was a shock to the people who knew him and the sporting community,” Carter said.

“He changed the sport forever. I was lucky enough to get to know him — he was such a caring and thoughtful guy and he will be missed by everyone.”

Lomu, the only other New Zealander to collect the gong, won it in 1995 during the year he dominated the Rugby World Cup in South Africa.

Andy Murray picked up the big award of the night – the BBC Sports Personality of the Year – after helping Great Britain win the Davis Cup tennis title for the first time since 1936.