4. Jonah Lomu
Rugby’s first true superstar, who helped grow the game into the global attraction that it is today. The late, great Jonah Lomu transcended rugby to the point where he is undeniably in contention amongst the greatest athletes of any sport. The powerhouse winger was a true force of nature, when he first burst onto the scene in 1995.
Lomu enters this list as the only player to not win the Rugby World Cup, which speaks volumes of his impact upon the global game. A pioneer for the sport, Lomu attracted new fans, sponsorships and media attention to rugby union, as the face of the 1995 and 1999 Rugby World Cups. Despite only making two All Blacks caps before the 1995 competition, the rugby world was soon swept into a frenzy over New Zealand’s unstoppable winger.
The All Blacks legend scored seven tries in five matches at the 1995 tournament, with his debut World Cup appearance against Ireland fondly remembered for two great scores. Lomu could trample his way over defenders, or explode past the opposition with unmatched pace. He scored four tries against England in the semi-final, with his most famous score iconised in the image of a flattened Mike Catt.
After a closely-contested final, the All Blacks were defeated by the Springboks thanks to the accurate boot of Joel Stransky. However Lomu’s status as rugby’s almighty megastar only grew, and led to the sport’s commercial growth. The ground-breaking ‘Jonah Lomu Rugby’ PlayStation video game was adored by fans upon it’s release in 1997, as the All Blacks hype reached a fever-pitch ahead of the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Lomu scored a further eight tries at the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The colossal winger ran in two against Tonga, Italy and France, and one each against England and Scotland. Despite Lomu’s best efforts by scoring a brace in the semi-final, it was Les Bleus who claimed the accolade of knocking out the much-fancied All Blacks from that year’s competition.
Despite only appearing at the Rugby World Cup in two tournaments, Lomu finished his international career as the competitions all-time leading try scorer. Lomu’s immortal 15 tries has since been equalised by legendary Springbok winger Bryan Habana. However Lomu’s accomplishment is considered even more impressive, as Habana needed to play in one additional Rugby World Cup (2007, 2011 and 2015) to match Lomu’s record.