
Rugby legend Jonah Lomu's dream to see his young boys reach the age of 21 will not be realised after the superstar former All Black passed away overnight, aged 40.

The huge winger, who electrified the sport when he burst onto the international stage at the 1995 World Cup, died unexpectedly last night from a heart attack thought to be linked to the kidney disease he battled for much of his adult life.

He is survived by his wife Nadene, and their two sons Brayley, 6, and Dhyrelle, 5.

Lomu arrived back in Auckland, New Zealand, on Tuesday night from the UK where he had been working at the Rugby World Cup, and had spent a few days in Dubai on the way home with his family.

During his time in Britain, he told the Mail on Sunday how he dreamed of living until his sons turned 21, stating: 'There are no guarantees that will happen, but it’s my focus. My dad died young and that makes you think.'

Lomu became the sport's first truly global superstar. Credited with increasing ticket sales whenever he played, he was famous for barnstorming runs that terrorised smaller defenders and is believed to have helped usher the sport into the professional era.

On Wednesday afternoon, NZ local time, his wife Nadene Lomu issued a statement describing the family's 'devastating loss'.

'It is with great sadness that I must announce my dear husband Jonah Lomu died last night,' the statement read. 'As you can imagine this is a devastating loss for our family and may I ask that our privacy, especially the privacy of our two very young boys, be respected as we take them through this traumatic time,' Mrs Lomu said.

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Lomu had an incredible rugby union career with his performance at the 1995 Rugby World Cup making him one of the sport's most recognisable figures. He is pictured here in 2001

Lomu arrived at Auckland Airport from the UK on Tuesday evening and this is believed to be the last photograph taken of him

He was recently in Dubai from where he posted a number of photos to social media

Former All Blacks doctor John Mayhew confirmed Lomu had died on Wednesday morning, just days after spending time in Dubai

Lomu had a long battle with the rare kidney disease which claimed his life on Wednesday morning. Here he is pictured running through England's fullback Mike Catt during the Rugby World Cup semi-final match between New Zealand and England in 1995

Lomu's bulldozing of Catt would be the moment which defined his career and led to him being described as a like 'a freight train in ballet shoes'

The All Black icon is survived by his wife Nadene (left) and sons Brayley, six, and Dhyreille, five (right)

Lomu recently spoke of his desire to live until his two boys (pictured together), now aged 5 and 6, turned 21

Steve Tew, the NZ Rugby chief executive, confirmed Lomu passed away in the early hours of Wednesday, while his family friend and former All Blacks doctor said he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Mr Tew said: 'We're all shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden death of Jonah Lomu. We're lost for words and our heartfelt sympathies go out to Jonah's family. Jonah was a legend of our game and loved by his many fans both here and around the world.'

Dr Mayhew confirmed Lomu had died on Wednesday morning due to a cardiac arrest likely linked to his rare kidney condition known as Nephrotic syndrome.

'On behalf of the Lomu family, I can confirm that Jonah Lomu died this morning, most probably about 8 or 9 this morning,' he said. 'The family are obviously devastated, as are friends and acquaintances. The family have requested privacy at this stage, they are obviously going through a terrible time.'

Meanwhile, tributes have been paid across the international rugby community by former players, coaches, fans and opponents.

Former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick tweeted: 'Our thoughts are with the @JONAHTALILOMU family tonight. A very special person. @AllBlacks.'

Dan Carter, the star fly-half in the All Blacks side which won the World Cup in England last month, tweeted: 'I still can't believe the sad news. Love & thoughts go out to Jonahs family #RIPJonah.'

Another current All Black, Sonny Bill Williams, said: 'Shocked, thoughts are with the Lomu family right now.'

England's own World Cup-winning No 10 Jonny Wilkinson said: 'I am so, so devastated to hear of the passing away of @JONAHTALILOMU The greatest superstar and just a fabulous human being. Deeply saddened.'

And former Wales fly-half Jonathan Davies said: 'Can't believe that Jonah Lomu has passed away. Was with him and his wife and family for an evening last month. So sad, life is so cruel.

'RIP Jonah you were a true legend and a gentleman.You changed the game of rugby and will be sorely missed. My thoughts are with your family.'

Former England captain Mike Tindall said: 'He was to me the guy who changed the sport forever, an unbelievable machine on the pitch and a superb guy off it, the guy who could dominate whatever era of rugby history he was put in.'

New Zealand prime minister John Key was also quick to pay tribute to Auckland-born Lomu. Key tweeted: 'Deeply saddened to hear of Jonah Lomu's unexpected passing this morning. The thoughts of the entire country are with his family.'

WHAT IS NEPHROTIC SYNDROME? Nephrotic Syndrome is a rare condition where the kidneys don't work properly. It usually caused by damage to the clusters of small blood vessels in the kidneys that filter waste and excess water from your blood. This causes large amounts of protein to leak into their urine, which is then lost through urination. Someone with the condition can lose up to 25 times more protein through urination in a 24-hour period than someone without it. Symptoms include fatigue, fluid retention or swelling, stomach pain, dizziness and a range of other ailments. It can lead to blood clots, infections and kidney failure. Treatments include steroids, blood pressure medication, water pills (to reduce swelling), antibiotics, and changes in diet. In severe cases like Jonah Lomu's, when the kidneys fail, it can be treated with dialysis and eventually a kidney transplant. It can affect people of any age, but is commonly seen in young children, and affects more boys than girls. The condition is usually first diagnosed in children aged between two and five. In the UK, only about one in every 50,000 children are diagnosed with the condition each year. It tends to be more common in families with a history of allergies or with an Asian background, although it is unclear why. Life expectancy for patients with nephrotic syndrome varies with each case. If a patient's kidneys fail and they require a transplant, it is expected their life-expectancy will be shortened. Source: NHS Choices, Mayo Clinic and Kidney Symptom Advertisement

The New Zealand and All Blacks flags fly at half mast today outside the New Zealand Rugby Union headquarters

New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Tew spoke to the media following Lomu's death

He underwent a life-saving kidney transplant in 2004 before his body rejected the organ in 2011. Here he pictured during one of his final appearances on a rugby field for the French third division side Marseille Vitrolles in 2009

Lomu scored 37 tries, made 63 appearances for the All Blacks and is regarded as one of New Zealand's greatest wingers

Lomu is pictured here during the Rugby World Cup third place play-off match between New Zealand and South Africa at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff, November 1999

Jonah Lomu (left) and Karl Te Nana (right) with the Melrose Cup after the Rugby World Cup 7's win in 2001

In August Lomu spoke to the Mail On Sunday's Oliver Holt about his career and his determination to stay alive until his sons reached the age of 21

'My goal is to make it to the boys' 21sts,' Lomu said at the time. Here is one of his most famous exploits - the moment he evaded Rob Andrew during a barnstorming run through three English defenders in the World Cup semi-final

Here he is pictured with his wife Nadene and their son Brayley in 2009 in southern France after he signed for French third division side Marseille Vitrolles

Lomu is seen here shaking hands with Queen Elizabeth II when the team visited Buckingham Palace for tea

New Zealand prime minister John Key was quick to pay tribute to Auckland-born Lomu

Lomu played for several domestic teams - Auckland Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes in Super Rugby, as well as North Harbour, Counties Manukau and Wellington.

Lomu became a household name during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa where he helped New Zealand reach the final. Although he quit the sport in 2002 after 63 games for the All Blacks because of Nephrotic syndrome, he later returned for a brief stint in club rugby.

This included games with Cardiff Blues, for whom he played 10 matches for from 2005-06, before retiring from the game a second time in 2007. However, he also made a final handful of appearances on the field in charity matches and then for French third division side Marseille Vitrolles.

JONAH LOMU FACT FILE Full name: Jonah Tali Lomu Born: May 12, 1975 in Auckland, New Zealand Height: 6ft 5in Weight: 18st 10lb (118 kg) Position: Wing Provincial/State sides: North Harbour, Wellington, Counties Manukau Super Rugby sides: Hurricanes, Chiefs, Blues Senior clubs: Marseille, Cardiff Blues, Wainuiomata RFC All Blacks Test Caps: 63 All Blacks Test points: 185 (37 tries) Advertisement

His spectacular performances at the 1995 Rugby World Cup made him one of the sport's most recognisable global figures.

He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007 and the IRB Hall of Fame four years later.

The Wallabies also paid tribute to Lomu, 'a legend of the game' with a photo of the star being tackled by an Australian player.

Australian Wallabies players also paid tribute to the star, describing him as a role model and an inspiration.

'Such sad news heading news just now of @JONAHTALILOMU. Such a gentleman and great role model for young Pasifika boys and girls #RestIn(love)', Lote Tuqiri wrote.

'Devastated the greatest ever has passed away! The world's in mourning for such an amazing talent yet genuine and humble human. R.I.P Jonah Lomu', Wallby James O'Conner tweeted.

In August Lomu spoke to the Mail On Sunday's Oliver Holt about his career and his determination to stay alive until his sons reached the age of 21.

'My goal is to make it to the boys' 21sts,' Lomu said at the time. 'There are no guarantees that will happen, but it's my focus. It's a milestone that every parent wants to get to.

'My dad died young and that makes you think. I want my boys to be healthy and if they get to 21, they should be fit and healthy and live a normal life.'

During the intimate interview Lomu spoke in depth about his love for his wife Nadene and how she looked after her 'three boys', and the difficulty of undergoing dialysis three times a week six hours at a time.

'You have to try and stay up and be happy and positive about it,' Lomu said.

'Because I will tell you one thing: it does get you down at times. It's difficult. Every dialysis patient is different but we have one commonality: we have no other choice. Your second choice isn't really a choice. It's just you giving up.'

Lomu also opened up about his own difficult childhood and how he hoped to provide a better upbringing for his own children.

'I want to give my boys a better childhood than I had,' he said.

'I would not wish my childhood on anybody. When you are forced to fend for yourself from the age of 13 and live on your own from the age of 14, that's tough.

'I wouldn't wish that on them and I would never let that happen. I want them to grow up, not spoiled in any way, but given the opportunities I believe they should have. I want them to understand that nothing comes easy and that you've got to work for it. I didn't better myself to let them go through any hardship like I did.

'When I look in the mirror, what I see is my two sons. They're my priority. The two boys were miracles. Medically, it wasn't supposed to happen because of my kidney stuff. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be a dad.

'Now, when I wake up in the morning, instead of looking in the mirror and thinking, 'What am I going to do today?' I look in the mirror and think, 'I've got the two boys, now get yourself up and get yourself moving and try to be the best dad you can be',' Lomu said.

Lomu and members of the Ngati Ranana London Maori Club perform a haka in London's Covent Garden on September 16, 2015

Queen Elizabeth II accepts autographed rugby shirts from All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick (L) as Jonah Lomu (C) and Zinzan Brooke look on

Lomu has spoken in depth about his difficult childhood and vowed to give his own children a better upbringing