Jonah Lomu died of a heart attack linked to his kidney disease on the morning of 18 November 2015 in Auckland. He was 40. Lomu had lived with nephrotic syndrome, a serious kidney disorder, since around 1995, and had a kidney transplant in 2004. The 2026 documentary Lomu screens on free-to-air TVNZ 1 on Sunday 15 November 2026, three days before the 11th anniversary of his death.
18 November 2026 marks 11 years since his death. Interest in his illness and final years returned this year with LOMU, a feature documentary by Vea Mafile’o and Gavin Fitzgerald that premiered in Auckland on 1 August and reached New Zealand cinemas in September.
How did Jonah Lomu die?
Jonah Lomu died suddenly at home in Auckland on the morning of 18 November 2015, from a heart attack linked to the kidney disease he had lived with for about 20 years. He was 40. He had returned to Auckland with his family the night before, after time in the United Kingdom and a short holiday in Dubai.
Lomu had been in the UK doing promotional work around the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which the All Blacks won under Richie McCaw, and was receiving dialysis there. He had been feeling well, 1News reported. “We were managing his sickness as well as we ever had,” his widow, Nadene, said, and “there was no indication of what was about to happen,” She gave him CPR until paramedics arrived. The family had come home, she said, “to pack and leave as a family for a brighter future” in the UK.
He left Nadene and their two young sons, Brayley and Dhyreille. His marriages and family are covered in our article on Jonah Lomu’s wife and family.
What illness did Jonah Lomu have?
Jonah Lomu had nephrotic syndrome, a serious kidney disorder. He was diagnosed in the mid-1990s, at the height of his fame, and played on through the 1999 World Cup. By May 2003 he needed dialysis three times a week, and he had a kidney transplant on 28 July 2004.
Co-director Gavin Fitzgerald told 1News: “Even his coaches had no idea he was carrying this very serious condition.” Side effects of the treatment caused nerve damage, and doctors warned in 2003 that he could end up in a wheelchair without a transplant. In November 2011 he spent more than a week in hospital because his kidney was failing, and by 2015 he was again on dialysis.
Jonah Lomu’s kidney disease timeline
Jonah Lomu lived with kidney disease for two decades, from his diagnosis around 1995 to his death in November 2015. For most of that time he kept playing professional rugby, including a second Rugby World Cup in 1999, while his kidneys declined. The key dates, from his debut to his death, are below.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1994 | All Blacks debut at 19 years and 45 days |
| Mid-1995 | Seven tries in five matches at the Rugby World Cup in South Africa |
| Around 1995 | Diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome |
| 1999 | Eight tries at the Rugby World Cup, taking his tournament total to 15 |
| May 2003 | On dialysis three times a week |
| 28 July 2004 | Kidney transplant in Auckland; the kidney was donated by Wellington radio presenter Grant Kereama |
| 24 October 2011 | Inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame |
| November 2011 | Hospitalised for more than a week with a failing kidney |
| 2015 | Receiving dialysis while working in the UK during the Rugby World Cup |
| 18 November 2015 | Died in Auckland of a heart attack linked to his kidney disease, aged 40 |
Who gave Jonah Lomu a kidney?
Wellington radio presenter Grant Kereama donated the kidney for Jonah Lomu’s transplant, which took place in Auckland on 28 July 2004. The operation came after more than a year of dialysis three times a week, at a time when doctors had warned he could end up in a wheelchair without a new kidney.
How old was Jonah Lomu when he died?
Jonah Lomu was 40 when he died. He was born on 12 May 1975 in Pukekohe, Auckland, and died on 18 November 2015, six months after his 40th birthday. He had been the youngest All Black test player when he debuted in 1994, at 19 years and 45 days.
Jonah Lomu’s funeral and memorial services
Jonah Lomu was farewelled at public memorials and a family service after his death in November 2015. Public memorials were held at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau on 28 November and at Eden Park on 30 November. At a family service at his church in Māngere, his sons sang “I am a Child of God” for him.
Te Ao Māori News reported that about 100 close family and friends attended that service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Māngere, and that he was to be buried at Manukau Memorial Gardens. A month after his death, the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association set up the Jonah Lomu Legacy Trust to support his sons.
His record on the field
Lomu played 63 tests for the All Blacks and scored 37 tries. His 15 Rugby World Cup tries (seven in 1995, eight in 1999) share the tournament’s all-time record with Bryan Habana.
He won the inaugural Super 12 final with the Blues in 1996 and also played for Counties Manukau, the Chiefs, the Hurricanes, Wellington, North Harbour, the Cardiff Blues and Marseille Vitrolles. He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007.
Where can you watch the Jonah Lomu documentary?
Lomu is coming to free-to-air TV. 1News’ November TVNZ guide lists it on TVNZ 1 on Sunday 15 November 2026, as “an intimate and heartfelt character study about legendary All Black Jonah Lomu”. A start time had not been listed as of 6 November. Until then it can be rented on AroVision, listed at 1 hour 47 minutes. It premiered in New Zealand on 1 August 2026 at Auckland’s Civic Theatre, followed by a wider cinema release in September.
| LOMU | |
|---|---|
| Directors | Vea Mafile’o and Gavin Fitzgerald |
| Funding | $800,000 from the New Zealand Film Commission |
| Australian premiere | Sydney Film Festival, 13 June 2026 |
| New Zealand premiere | 1 August 2026, Civic Theatre, Auckland |
| NZ cinema release | September 2026 |
| At home | Premium rental on AroVision (as of October 2026) |
| Free-to-air TV | TVNZ 1, Sunday 15 November 2026 (time to be confirmed) |
The film follows Lomu from South Auckland to global fame, including his illness and how he kept playing through dialysis. Reviewing it for The Spinoff, James Nokise wrote that it covers “the tragic end of his career and eventually his life at the cruelly young age of 40.” Mafile’o said of the Auckland premiere: “This story belongs to our people. To premiere LOMU at home, in Tāmaki Makaurau where so much of Jonah’s journey began, is incredibly special.”
Lomu’s widow, Nadene, did not take part in the film and took legal action in 2023 to block it, which failed, 1News reported. His mother, Hepi Lomu, supplied home video of him as a teenager that appears in the film.
Frequently asked questions
What did Jonah Lomu die of?
A heart attack linked to his long-standing kidney disease, nephrotic syndrome. He died on 18 November 2015.
What age did Jonah Lomu die?
40. He was born on 12 May 1975.
What illness did Jonah Lomu have?
Nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disorder diagnosed around 1995. He had a kidney transplant on 28 July 2004.
Who gave Jonah Lomu a kidney?
Wellington radio presenter Grant Kereama donated the kidney for his 2004 transplant.
When is the Jonah Lomu documentary on TV?
TVNZ lists Lomu on TVNZ 1 on Sunday 15 November 2026. The start time had not been published as of 6 November.
Is there a Jonah Lomu movie in 2026?
Yes, the feature documentary LOMU by Vea Mafile’o and Gavin Fitzgerald. It was in New Zealand cinemas from September 2026, can be rented on AroVision, and screens on TVNZ 1 on 15 November 2026.
