Joeli Vidiri 'I cannot hide my tears'

They were friends, team mates - and bizarrely - even went through dialysis together as chronic kidney illnesses cut short both their All Blacks careers.

So entwined had their lives become that Joeli Vidiri says he struggling to cope with the sudden death of his "brother" Jonah Lomu.

"I cannot hide my tears," Vidiri said. "I can't take it."

Vidiri and Lomu lit up the Blues backline in rugby's Super 12 tournament during the late 1990's, but just as Vidiri's career was taking off with two All Blacks caps to his name, he was forced to retire in 2001 after being diagnosed with kidney disease.

A massive wait for a kidney transplant was finally realised for Vidiri in June this year, but in the 15 years in between, the illness he shared with Lomu inevitably brought the pair together.

"We've had a lot of up's and down's in our lives and on the rugby field," Vidiri said.

"Even during the times when we were most sick though, Jonah and I would always have a laugh."

With an understanding of Lomu's long-running and well-publicised kidney illness better than most, Vidiri says shock has been his overwhelming reaction to the news his friend had died on Tuesday night.

"I am so surprised. I saw Jonah just before the Rugby World Cup and he was doing OK, he was looking really well," he said.

"I don't know what has happened but I am so sad. I had gotten to know his mother quite well during our treatment. Our families had gotten close and I just don't know what to say."

Four years ago Vidiri urged his friend to take part in a charity boxing event, putting out a foreboding warning that "Life is not that long, (Jonah) has to be happy with his life and do what he loves but I want to say to him to take it easy and go step-by-step, day-by-day," Vidiri said.

Vidiri, 41, lost around 12kg in weight after his transplant and has to drink litres of water every day while eating a closely monitored diet to ensure his renal system can be flushed and his health maintained.