Anxiety over Lomu return

A leading rugby administrator has told the Weekend Herald he would have fears taking on the Jonah Lomu comeback in case the sporting superstar and kidney transplant recipient died while wearing his team's colours.

The administrator, who did not want to be identified, said he also feared that his team's name could be forever linked with any type of unfortunate end to Lomu's career.

His comments were the most dramatic, but certainly not the only ones of doubt, made to the Weekend Herald as the game contemplates the most unlikely of comebacks.

Like several of the people we contacted, this official preferred to talk off the record about Lomu.

It was revealed last week that the New Zealand Rugby Union had talked informally to Lomu about a contract, six months after his kidney transplant. And a leading renal physician says Lomu is unlikely to face greater danger than any other player.

Lomu is fitness-training furiously as he pursues a medical clearance and his dream of returning to the All Blacks, after a decade of kidney disease that led to an operation in July in which a donated kidney was placed behind his rib cage.

He is expected to travel to London next week to firm up plans to play in the Twickenham testimonial match for England's World Cup-winning captain, Martin Johnson, on June 4, although he still needs a medical clearance.

Lomu was off-limits to the Weekend Herald this week.

Auckland renal physicians who have treated him were also silent, citing patient confidentiality. Professor Ian Simpson politely said that Lomu had asked him not to speak to the media.

Professor Steve Munn, who performed the transplant operation using the kidney donated by radio jock Grant Kereama, would not comment.

If Lomu does make a rugby comeback, it seems sure to be with Wellington even though he lives in Auckland. He presented the team jerseys to the Wellington players before last year's NPC semifinal, and says privately he would never play for Auckland.

There have also been the usual rugby league rumours, and Lomu is still angered at his treatment by the NZRFU. He cut his ties with them after a reduced contract offer in 2003.

Wellington coach John Plumtree said he joked to Lomu at the national sevens tournament in Queenstown that he was sending him a pre-season training schedule.

"I don't know what the medical story is, but if he wants to come back and it's proven he can play and has the clearances, then great," said Plumtree.

"I'd love him to play for me. Financially, he doesn't need to play ... he just wants to play and be with his mates and I admire him. I miss watching him play."

Wellington and Hurricanes chief executive Malcolm Holmes has not talked to Lomu's representatives.

"But he has said his heart is with Wellington," said Holmes.

The Auckland and Blues chief executive David White - who dealt with Lomu when he was in charge at Wellington - understands the player is "reasonably committed to Wellington".

Auckland and the Blues already have major wing resources, including test men Joe Rokocoko and Doug Howlett.

"So more importantly, from our point of view, it would just be fantastic if the guy did make a comeback, for whoever," said White.

But he also said that Lomu's return would throw up health and financial liability issues.

"It is such a whole new situation and certainly raises major issues.

"Knowing Jonah, he will fully accept responsibility. But it is not a mandatory situation. It is a very big issue for whoever his next employer will be."

When asked how opponents might respond against a man who has had a major organ transplant, White replied: "You'd have to ask players but I guess for the first few games there would be people who are going to be quite nervous."

The principal medical opinion obtained by the Weekend Herald comes from Professor John Morton, a retired Christchurch renal physician who counsels kidney donors.

He is the chairman of the New Zealand Kidney Foundation, was involved in the first transplant operations in Britain, and performed his first "solo" transplant in Scotland in 1971. He also helped to train Munn.

Transplanted kidneys are usually placed in the groin area, mainly to avoid the significant procedure of removing one of the old kidneys in often-frail patients.

The procedure has hardly changed since it was first used in a Boston hospital in 1955, when the operation involved identical twins who did not have problems of organ rejection.

Placing the organ in the groin does expose it to some risk. A woman in this country lost her donated kidney when a seatbelt sheared it off in a traffic accident.

Morton did not know of any other case where the kidney had been placed in its natural position behind the rib cage, and had not spoken to Munn about Lomu.

"Essentially the operation developed in the Boston hospital is so good it's been maintained ever since," Morton said.

"I don't know if this is a world-first, but Steve will have realised that Jonah Lomu is intent on playing rugby, and worked out how best to protect him and the kidney.

"I always discuss with donors the question of whether the recipient will take care of the organ. A kidney will only survive if the recipient keeps taking the drugs which prevent rejection.

"Sadly, some people feel so well they think they're cured and they don't need the drugs. Then the kidney is rejected [meaning a return to dialysis].

"If they are not going to comply, I say to donors, 'Think again'. The problem with Jonah is you could say, 'Is he taking care of the kidney by playing rugby?'

"Well it depends on where Steve [Munn] has put it, and what Steve's done to protect it. If it's in the normal place [behind the ribs] there is no more risk than any other player's kidney. I can't speculate, because I don't know where it is.

"Steve is very competent and doing much more difficult transplants than putting new kidneys in, and he wouldn't have any difficulty putting it back in same place."

Morton, who was "walking on air" after he performed his first transplant more than 30 years ago, said the Lomu publicity led him to recall darker days.

"It's ironical, because we were enormously criticised in the early days. It was considered an evil thing to do and we were interfering with nature," he said.

"On top of that, the results weren't that good. About six out of 10 [transplanted organs] were rejected after a year."

Three surgical colleagues and 30 patients also died from an outbreak of hepatitis in the Edinburgh hospital.

But while transplants are now accepted - about 140 operations were performed in New Zealand and 7000 in Britain last year - donors and recipients in this country are split on the Lomu comeback.

Carmel Gregan-Ford, from the Kidney Foundation, said: "It's been very mixed. Some think it is great, others not so great.

"It depends on the sort of people, their experiences, and maybe if they are into sport. The ones who say not may have some fears about it."

Morton, though, is full of admiration for Lomu.

"To have played rugby with the chronic kidney failure as severe as his is a huge tribute to his courage and commitment.

"Some people were criticising his rugby when I was just in admiration of what he could do with that level of kidney function.

"He has drawn attention to the great benefits of living [kidney] donations. He's also been generous in his time supporting the various organisations ... he's played an important societal role in drawing the community's attention to the benefits of kidney transplantation.

"If he goes on to play first-grade rugby again, that's a big ask, and would be a huge achievement."