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50 free Jonah Lomu trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This Jonah Lomu trivia quiz follows rugby's first global superstar from Pukekohe and Mangere to the 1995 World Cup semi-final where he ran over Mike Catt and made Will Carling call him 'a freak'. It covers his Tongan roots, his schoolboy athletics times, the flanker who became a wing, the record he took from Edgar Wrigley in 1994, the seven tries in South Africa, the drop-goal final at Ellis Park and the eight more tries at the 1999 tournament. The rest of the quiz is about everything around the highlights: the Blues' inaugural Super 12 title, the 1998 Commonwealth Games sevens gold, the 'match of the century' winner in 2000, the record eight tries against England, the nephrotic syndrome diagnosis, the dialysis, the 2004 transplant from a radio presenter, the comeback with North Harbour and Cardiff Blues, the McDonald's Jonah Burger, the video game, the languages he spoke and the Hall of Fame inductions. Questions range from easy to expert. Every answer was verified against the Wikipedia article on Jonah Lomu, and each explanation adds one more detail worth knowing.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In which New Zealand town was Jonah Lomu born on 12 May 1975?
Pukekohe
His parents were Tongan immigrants from Holopeka in the Ha'apai islands, and he spent part of his early childhood there before moving to Mangere in South Auckland.
Q 02How old was Jonah Lomu when he became the youngest ever All Black in 1994?
19 years and 45 days
He broke a record held by Edgar Wrigley since 1905, debuting on the wing against France at Lancaster Park in a 22-8 defeat.
Q 03How many tries did Jonah Lomu score in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semi-final at Newlands?
Four
His first, when he stumbled and then ran straight over Mike Catt, was voted try of the tournament and prompted commentator Keith Quinn to gasp.
Q 04Which opposing player did Jonah Lomu famously run straight over for his first try in the 1995 semi-final?
Mike Catt
He had taken a pass behind him and beaten two defenders before the stumble and the trample.
Q 05Which opposing captain said of Jonah Lomu in 1995: 'He is a freak and the sooner he goes away the better'?
Will Carling
In 2002 the British public voted Lomu's performance No. 19 in a list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.
Q 06How many tries did Jonah Lomu score at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa?
Seven
He had only two caps when picked for the squad; two came against Ireland, one against Scotland and four against England.
Q 07How did South Africa beat New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup final at Ellis Park?
15-12 after a drop goal in extra time
Neither side scored a try in the match, and Lomu was kept out by the Springbok defence.
Q 08How many Rugby World Cup tries did Jonah Lomu score in total, a record he shares with Bryan Habana?
15
He needed only two tournaments, 1995 and 1999, to set the mark; Habana equalled it in 2015.
Q 09What was Jonah Lomu's final All Blacks record?
63 tests, 37 tries
He scored against every major test nation except South Africa and Wales.
Q 10What was the name of the kidney disorder Jonah Lomu was diagnosed with in 1995?
Nephrotic syndrome
By 2003 he was on dialysis three times a week, and doctors warned he faced life in a wheelchair without a transplant.
Q 11Who donated the kidney that Jonah Lomu received in a July 2004 transplant?
Radio presenter Grant Kereama
Kereama was a long-time friend, and the two were reunited on New Zealand's This Is Your Life in 2007.
Q 12Which Australian journalist coined the description of Jonah Lomu as a 'freight train in ballet shoes'?
Peter FitzSimons
'Other players could go through players, other players could go around players... Lomu could do it all,' he explained.
Q 13How much did Jonah Lomu weigh at his playing peak?
125 kg (276 lb)
At 1.96 metres tall he could still run 100 metres in 11.2 seconds, and he was the first truly massive wing.
Q 21At which Commonwealth Games did Jonah Lomu win a gold medal in rugby sevens?
1998 Kuala Lumpur
He had missed the 1997 Tri Nations while recovering from his kidney diagnosis but rejoined the All Blacks for the end-of-year tour.
Q 22How many tries did Jonah Lomu score at the 1999 Rugby World Cup?
Eight
Two came in the semi-final against France, but the French won 43-31 and New Zealand went home.
Q 23Which team beat New Zealand 43-31 in the 1999 World Cup semi-final despite two Lomu tries?
France
Afterwards there was speculation he might switch to the NFL or the English Premiership, but he went home to New Zealand.
Q 14How fast could Jonah Lomu run 100 metres in his final year at school?
11.2 seconds
At Wesley College he also competed in shot put, javelin, high jump, hurdles and relay.
Q 15Which Auckland school did Jonah Lomu's mother send him to after gang violence in Mangere?
Wesley College
Counties Manukau coach Ross Cooper first spotted him playing there in 1991.
Q 16In which position did Jonah Lomu begin his rugby union career before switching to the left wing?
Flanker
He called the switch to the wing 'the best move he could have made', but would occasionally fill in at number 8 for Zinzan Brooke.
Q 17Which sevens star played touch with a 14-year-old Jonah Lomu and invited him to a Singapore tournament?
Eric Rush
Lomu later filled in for Rush, who broke his leg, as New Zealand won the 2001 Sevens World Cup.
Q 18Which sport did Jonah Lomu play first as a youngster, before switching codes?
Rugby league
His introduction to union came at a tournament in Te Kuiti, where he stayed with the son of All Black legend Colin Meads.
Q 19Which tournament first brought Jonah Lomu to international attention in 1994?
The Hong Kong Sevens
He had already represented New Zealand at under-19 and under-21 level.
Q 20Which Super 12 team did Jonah Lomu win the competition's inaugural 1996 final with?
Auckland Blues
He later played for the Chiefs and Hurricanes too, as well as Counties Manukau, Wellington and North Harbour at provincial level.
Q 24How many people watched the 2000 Tri Nations opener dubbed the 'match of the century', won by Jonah Lomu's late try?
109,874
With the Wallabies leading 35-34, he brushed past Stephen Larkham to tip-toe down the line and score.
Q 25Which Wallaby did Jonah Lomu brush past to score the winning try in the 2000 'match of the century'?
Stephen Larkham
New Zealand had scored three tries in the first five minutes before Australia clawed level by half-time.
Q 26Against which northern-hemisphere nation did Jonah Lomu score eight test tries, his most?
England
He never scored against South Africa in 12 matches, nor against Wales in three.
Q 27Which two major test nations did Jonah Lomu never score a try against?
South Africa and Wales
He faced the Springboks 12 times without a try, and Wales three times.
Q 28Jonah Lomu played his last All Blacks tests in November 2002 against which three teams?
England, France and Wales
He scored twice in a 31-28 loss to England, drew with France for the first time in 96 years, then beat Wales 43-17.
Q 29Which Welsh club did Jonah Lomu join for his 2005-06 comeback after his transplant?
Cardiff Blues
He first needed WADA clearance because one of his anti-rejection drugs was a banned substance; he played 10 games and scored one try in Wales.
Q 30Which New Zealand provincial side signed Jonah Lomu to a two-year deal in April 2005?
North Harbour
He missed the first season after injuring his shoulder scoring a try in a testimonial against Martin Johnson's XV, and worked as a coach instead.