10 Sportspeople Considered The Greatest Ever
7. Rugby Union: Jonah Lomu
I can't confess to have the most intimate knowledge of rugby, but even I know who Jonah Lomu is. The youngest ever All Black wasn't just one of the greatest rugby players of all time, but also a global sporting icon.
Though New Zealand lost out to hosts South Africa at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, left-winger Lomu's performance in the tournament was such that he became the new poster-boy for a sport set to break free of the shackles of amateurism.
Rugby union's first celebrity star, Lomu suddenly came under the same scrutiny footballers had endured since George Best aroused the interest of the media as far back as the '60s. The trappings of fame weren't to the generally reserved Lomu's liking, but away from the media glare he continued to do his loudest talking on the pitch.
He was again the star performer of an otherwise disappointing World Cup for the All Blacks in 1999, and Lomu's presence in the sport inflated match attendances to unparalleled levels. The apex of his influence came in a Tri-Nations showdown between Oceanic rivals Australia and New Zealand, in which Lomu secured a dramatic late winner in front of a staggering 109,874 people - a rugby union record.
Just as he was on top of the world, Lomu's career was ultimately ended by a rare kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome, that required dialysis five times a week. A kidney transplant in 2004 gave hope of a comeback, but it wasn't to be. In 2016, rugby's greatest ever star died suddenly from a heart attack. Lomu was just 40 years old.
An Alternative Choice: Dan Carter
Arguments for Lomu's compatriot Dan Carter as the greatest ever rugby player pay much credence to his status as the sport's only dual world cup winner, though for many female fans of the sport it centres more on his chiseled physique and rugged good looks. Oh, and he's also the highest ever point scorer in Test match rugby. Guess that counts for something.