JONAH Lomu has died and people all over the world mourn.
There are not many people who can claim "legendary" status but, judging by reports around the planet's newspapers, Jonah was indeed a "legend".
Pretty near everyone - rugby fan or not - has some knowledge of the man who struck fear into All Blacks' opponents. He was big, fast, has been called "unstoppable" and even - by former England captain Will Carling - "a freak".
But his reputation grew beyond the great rugby player he undoubtedly was. He became known as the man who played on when suffering from the kidney disease that would do its best to define him. He was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome in 1996 but had been feeling its effects for some time. He continued to play, putting in performances well beyond the ordinary, but the disease took its toll. In 2004 he received a kidney, courtesy of radio presenter Grant Kereama. Anti-rejection drugs became part of his routine and he officially retired from rugby in 2007, apart from some charity matches and made a brief comeback with French club Marseille Vitrolles.
The kidney expired in 2011 and he was forced to resume dialysis.
Rugby great, renal patient, sports ambassador, man in the news, thrice married, brand spokesman, subject of film, book and countless interviews, Jonah Lomu crammed a lot into his 40 years and established a profile that covered continents - one of those larger-than-life men renowned for physical attributes first, then for the character that sustained him and others during his tough times.
There are not many who spread their fame beyond their field of excellence, but Jonah became a household name. People who never knew him, who never met him, who only saw him on television or from a distance, will miss him.