And death has ‘tackled’ Jonah Lomu

The most brazen case of sports hooliganism I ever witnessed was not committed on a football pitch or a Rugby field, it was on the pages of newspapers. This was twenty years ago, when the second edition of the Rugby World Cup was being staged in South Africa. New Zealand’s All-Blacks and South Africa’s Springboks […]

The most brazen case of sports hooliganism I ever witnessed was not committed on a football pitch or a Rugby field, it was on the pages of newspapers. This was twenty years ago, when the second edition of the Rugby World Cup was being staged in South Africa. New Zealand’s All-Blacks and South Africa’s Springboks had just emerged the finalists, after a few weeks of international tournament, in the newly-democratised republic.
For obvious reasons, the South African’s were really jittery about meeting New Zealanders. A twenty- year-old player, by the name Jonah Lomu had single-handedly ‘conquered’ Britain and Australia to take New Zealand to the finals. And now that it was the turn of the host nation to encounter ‘this freak’ Jonah Lomu, (thanks to the captain of British Rugby team) losing to him was just not an option.
So I woke up one morning, a few days to the finals, and saw The Star newspaper, one of South Africa’s broadsheets, screaming the headline ‘Who can tackle Jonah Lomu?’ I almost ignored it, not least because I have a screaming few-weeks-old baby who might not even allow me the leisure to read the story, but because I thought it will just be a preview of the upcoming event. Somehow my curiosity got the best of me and I reached out to the newspaper and read the story.
Apparently Shell Petroleum Corporation, a leading sports promoter in the country had risen to the occasion (of national anxiety over the possibility of losing to All-Blacks) by offering one million rand to whoever could ‘tackle’ Jonah Lomu. They apparently thought that a little incentive given to South African players will enable them bring down the 6-foot-plus New Zealander. The offer was that for each ‘tackle,’ the South African who did it has won himself a million rand.
At the time, an American dollar was equivalent to three and a half rand. You can guess how much dollars Shell was ready to spend to ‘contain’ the All-Blacks hero.
I found myself disgusted by the offer, I couldn’t help thinking that although apartheid was officially over, the Shell incentive smirked of racism. I wasn’t alone. Sports enthusiasts (like my husband) and pundits as well as Rugby authorities all condemned the Shell initiative, while referring to it as against the spirit of sportsmanship. The oil giant apologized and withdrew their offer but not before the All-Blacks had re-strategised in order to take the heat off Jonah.
Those who watched the finals said there was a deliberate attempt by his team-mates to avoid passing the ball to him because they knew everyone on the opposing side was trained to attack him. In the end, Lomu couldn’t put in his best because he was made to underplay, as a strategy. This still did not make it easy for the South Africans to win. A 30-minute extra-time was given before a winner finally emerged.
The Springboks won the 2nd Rugby World cup by a tiny margin, beating the defending Champions, the All-Blacks.
I was forced to remember all this last week when I heard about the death of the invincible Jonah Lomu, Rugby world’s first superstar.
Here was a man, who at the age of only 20, almost brought a nation to its knees because of his sports prowess. He inspired the worst case of sports hooliganism by a multinational company (in my estimation) and yet, at the end of the day, he was only a mere mortal. When I saw his elaborate casket, during his funeral, a few days ago, I recalled those words written by Shakespeare in reference Julius Caesar ‘There he lies, no worthier than dust.’
I remember feeling something similar, 13 years ago, when I read the news that Jonah Lomu had retired from Rugby, at the age of 27 because of kidney complications. I immediately recalled the gentle giant who trampled upon Rugby greats like Britain and Australia and went ahead to give South Africa her worst nightmare. Could he really be so ill that even before he was thirty he had to quit the game that was his life?
You see, I am not really a sports fan. The only time I watch sports is to see the finals of the soccer world cup, and even then it is not for the whole 90 minutes. I only watch the end so I can see the trophy-handing and the accompanying festivities. In the case of the Olympics, I try not to miss the opening day festivities, then I shut all out till the last day. But I was forced to get involved with the Rugby World cup in 1995 because that was what living in the ‘host country’ entails.
All day long the Rugby anthem was being played, at intervals, on both radio and TV. It reminded me of the time we were forced to cram the FESTAC anthem, as primary school kids in 1977 because it too was being played all-day long on our radios and TVs.
So, with the Rugby anthem disturbing the peace of my home, every few minutes, I was forced to notice the tournament, to listen to its update and eventually to ‘encounter’ Jonah Lomu. I didn’t even know that I had subconciously crammed the Rugby anthem, till I caught myself singing it once after we had returned from South Africa. Till today I still recall the chorus.
‘It’s the world in union
The world as one
As we climb, to reach our destiny
A new age has begun’
But then twenty years after he conquered the Rugby world, Jonah Lomu got ‘tackled’ by the jaws of death. The lesson for us is that no one is too big or too small for that inevitable phenomenon. Whether you are loved, hated, feared or revered, it will come when its time comes.
Again William Shakespeare puts it thus:
‘It seems to me most strange that men should fear
Seeing that death, a necessary end
Will come, when it will come.’
And the holy Quran puts it most categorically. ‘Every soul must taste of death.’ May Almighty God grant the rest of us a good end. Amin.