PHOTOS: The Life and Times of Jonah Lomu

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1/46 Jonah Tali Lomu (born May 12, 1975) burst onto the rugby scene as a teenager and made his debut in the black jersey with the national sevens side.
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2/46 Lomu debuted in 1994 as an 18-year-old and can be seen here swiping past Tonga in the 1995 Hong Kong Sevens
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3/46 His efforts in the Sevens game eventually saw him named in the 1995 Rugby World Cup squad, leading up to this famous try against England.
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4/46 The All Blacks eventually make the final before going down to South Africa in extra time.
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5/46 Lomu responded with another strong showing in the 1995 Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park.
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6/46 The All Blacks subsequently claimed the Bledisloe Cup, one of the first pieces of silverware for Lomu.
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7/46 Having debuted for the All Blacks in 1994, Lomu sported a new look - an eyebrow shave - to show off his No.11!
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8/46 But then, the first tragedy. In 1997, Lomu announced he was suffering from a rare kidney disease.
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9/46 Lomu missed the 1997 Tri Nations, but his impact was already felt worldwide. Here he poses with a Madame Tussauds sculpture with that famous fend.
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10/46 Lomu returned to Counties Manukau in the 1997 NPC season more determined than ever to seal his spot.
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11/46 He played in three games on the 1997 Northern Hemisphere tour, but didn't score a try.
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12/46 While his try-scoring potency weaned somewhat, his physicality meant he was still as tough as ever to stop.
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13/46 1998 was Lomu's third season with the Blues, and he continued to push past fellow All Black wings (Jeff Wilson there!)
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14/46 Lomu played in New Zealand's 64-22 win over England in Dunedin that year, but didn't play the second test in Auckland.
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15/46 1999 was a big one for Lomu and the All Blacks. They retained the Tri Nations but lost the Bledisloe Cup, a result not lost on Lomu.
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16/46 However, Lomu returned to glory soon after, claiming gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in rugby sevens.
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17/46 Lomu cruised along with Counties Manukau in 1998 as the union maintained its spot in the first division.
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18/46 The 1999 international season saw Lomu return with a sporting a new hairstyle - the tuft.
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19/46 A record 108,000 watched Lomu and the All Blacks lose 28-7 in Sydney.
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20/46 1999 also saw the All Blacks breed some new blood - enter future captain Reuben Thorne.
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21/46 The 1999 World Cup was a rich one for Lomu try-scoring wise. He went on to score eight at the global showpiece.
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22/46 The All Blacks might've been knocked out at the semi-final stage of the World Cup, but Lomu's popularity continued to soar.
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23/46 In 2000, Lomu switched franchises to the Hurricanes, where he would play for four seasons.
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24/46 Scotland was no match for Lomu. He scored a hat trick in the side's 69-20 win over Scotland in Dunedin.
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25/46 Lomu was again at the centre of history, when New Zealand secured a last-minute 39-35 win over Australia labelled the match of the century.
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26/46 Lomu's impact saw him named in the Barbarians side to take on England in 2001 after an earlier appearance in 2000.
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27/46 Lomu dived over to score in his 50th game, against Australia in the 2001 Bledisloe Cup.
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28/46 And then there was this memorable hairstyle. Lomu playing for the Wellington Lions in 2001, a year after they won the title.
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29/46 Another northern tour saw Lomu excel against Scotland in 2001.
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30/46 A classic bit of banter here between Jonah Lomu and Robbie Deans, the coaching coordinator for the All Blacks.
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31/46 The All Blacks developed a new 9-15 Rugby boot in partnership with Adidas. Who better to model them!
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32/46 And then, the sobering reminder. Lomu shows his daily dialysis requirements in his own home in 2004.
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33/46 By November 2004, Lomu felt confident enough to return to rugby, announcing he was trying to return to competitive rugby.
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34/46 Lomu announces he signed with North Harbour in 2005.
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35/46 Lomu played for the Jonah Lomu XV versus the Martin Johnson XV in 2005
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36/46 At the end of 2005, Lomu played his first of 10 games for Cardiff Blues. He scored one try in that time.
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37/46 Lomu's global appeal saw him invited to the 2006 Laureus Sports Awards.
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38/46 Lomu's North Harbour side reached the quarter-finals of the then-NPC competition before being ousted by Otago.
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39/46 Further cameo matches for Lomu, including playing for the New Zealand Legends in the Hong Kong Tens competition.
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40/46 Lomu tried his hand at bodybuilding as he prepared for his short stint with third-tier side Marseille Vitrolles in France.
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41/46 He ended up playing three games for the third-tier club.
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42/46 Lomu gave the German national rugby side a bit of assistance in 2010.
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43/46 Then in 2011, the poignant moment during the Rugby World Cup opening ceremony in New Zealand. Lomu had returned home.
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44/46 Last year, Lomu was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.
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45/46 Lomu looked healthy as he waited on site ahead of the Junior World Championships in New Zealand in 2014.
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46/46 Lomu was on hand earlier this year to present Manu Vatuvei with an award for playing his 200th match for the Warriors.
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Jonah Lomu has led a life of ecstasy, agony, triumph and heartbreak. We look back at his time on and off the field and illustrate the life and times of one of New Zealand's favourite sporting sons, Jonah Lomu.

Photos: Getty Images