He was the most feared player in rugby history. A man so physically dominant that entire game plans were built around simply trying to slow him down. But behind the legend of Jonah Lomu was a story of suffering, self-doubt, and a battle with his own body that most people never knew about.
Now, an Irish filmmaker has put that story on screen, and the result is one of the most revealing sports documentaries in years.
The film, directed by Irish director Billy McGrath, digs deep into the life of the New Zealand rugby icon who redefined what a winger could be. Lomu burst onto the world stage at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, running over and through defenders in a way that genuinely shocked people. He was 20 years old, 6’5″, and built like a freight train. The world had never seen anything like him.
But what the world did not see was what was happening behind closed doors.
Lomu was diagnosed with a serious kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome, a disease that attacks the kidneys and can be life-threatening. He played through it for years, competing at the highest level while his body was quietly failing him. The documentary explores just how much that took out of him, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.
McGrath got access to people close to Lomu, including family members, former teammates, and those who were with him in his final years before his sudden death in 2015 at just 40 years old. What comes through clearly is that Lomu carried an enormous amount of pain quietly, not wanting to show weakness, not wanting to be seen as anything other than the unstoppable force everyone expected him to be.
That gap between the public image and the private reality is at the heart of the film. The man who terrified defenders on a rugby pitch was, off it, dealing with fear and vulnerability just like anyone else. His kidney disease eventually required a transplant, and even after that, his health remained fragile. He kept playing, kept turning up, kept being Jonah Lomu, even when it cost him enormously.
Former All Blacks who played alongside him speak about what he was like as a teammate, and there is a real tenderness in how they describe him. The physical gifts were obvious to everyone, but those who knew him talk about his humility, his warmth, and the way he genuinely struggled with the weight of expectation that came with being considered the greatest of all time.
The 1995 World Cup semi-final against England remains one of the most replayed moments in rugby history. Lomu scored four tries, including that iconic run where he simply ran through Mike Catt like he was not there. It was the moment that made him a global superstar overnight. But McGrath’s documentary is interested in what came after that moment, and the years of quietly managing an illness that the public mostly did not know the full extent of.
Lomu’s personal life also features in the film, including the relationships and struggles that came with being that level of famous at such a young age. There is no attempt to paint him as a saint or to gloss over the complicated parts of his life. The picture that emerges is of a real, flawed, extraordinary human being who happened to also be the most electrifying rugby player the sport has ever produced.
Irish audiences will get the chance to see the documentary as it begins to roll out for screenings, and early reaction from those who have seen it has been strongly positive. Critics have pointed to the access McGrath managed to secure as a major strength, giving the film an intimacy that is hard to fake.
For rugby fans, it is essential viewing. But even for people who never watched a match in their lives, the story of Jonah Lomu is a compelling one about fame, illness, identity, and what it costs to be the best in the world at something.
Lomu died in November 2015 from a heart attack related to his kidney condition. He was gone far too soon, and for a long time the full story of what he had been carrying felt like it had gone with him. This documentary makes sure that is no longer the case.