WELLINGTON, New Zealand — It may be nearly a dozen years since Jonah Lomu last played for New Zealand, but the giant winger still knows how to draw a crowd.

Lomu was the good-will ambassador for the recent leg of the International Rugby Board World Sevens Series here in Wellington, and over the two-day tournament he was besieged by fans asking for photos and autographs.

It is just part of being one of the most recognized rugby players in the world and something Lomu, who played 63 tests for the All Blacks, has become accustomed to since he burst onto the world stage at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa.

For his two young boys, Dhyreille, 3, and Brayley, 5, it remains a puzzle why their father gets so much attention when they are out.