Rugby: Former All Blacks star Ma'a Nonu reveals the day he crashed legendary Jonah Lomu's car

Ma'a Nonu has opened up about his close relationship with late All Blacks great Jonah Lomu. Photos / Photosport, Supplied

Former All Blacks midfielder Ma'a Nonu has revealed he kept a secret from then Hurricanes teammate and test legend Jonah Lomu for nine months - before finally coming clean.

Nonu told BBC Sport's Scrum V podcast about his close relationship with the late All Blacks winger, that first began when he made his debut for the 'Canes in 2003.

"When I made the Hurricanes, he [Lomu] looked after me a lot. I used to drive my dad's van to Hurricanes training, and one particular day he asked me, 'How did you get here?'

"I said, 'In my dad's van' and he said, 'How's your dad getting to work?'

"I said, 'he catches the bus'."

Ma'a Nonu has opened up about his close relationship with late All Blacks great Jonah Lomu. Photos / Photosport, Supplied

Soon after Lomu lent his younger teammate one of his cars.

"I actually scratched it on the first day I got the car," Nonu told the podcast.

"I couldn't park it on the road, so when I tried to turn the car around I actually scraped the nextdoor neighbour's brick fence. I thought, 'Ah, bro'. I didn't tell him, I didn't tell anyone."

Nonu, who would make his test debut later that same year, kept the mishap hidden from Lomu for months - and received an unexpected reply when he finally confessed.

"I used to drive to training early and park in the bush. This was back in 2003. It took me nine months to build up the courage...I rung him and I was like, 'Big guy, I've got to tell you something. I crashed your car'," he said.

"He was like, 'Don't worry about it'. It was a massive weight off my shoulders. I just wish I had told him earlier.

"I had so much love for Jonah. He was one of the reasons I wanted to pursue rugby."

Ma'a Nonu in action during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Photosport

Lomu retired in 2002 after scoring 43 tries in 73 tests. He died in November 2015 after a long battle with a kidney disorder.

Nonu would play 103 tests before retiring after the 2015 World Cup, one of two victorious campaigns he was involved in.

He joined San Diego in Major League Rugby earlier this year after returning to Auckland and the Blues last season.