Jonah Lomu, aged 40, has passed away unexpectedly at his home in Auckland on Wednesday morning.
Lomu is survived by his wife Nadene and their two children.
Jonah Tali Lomu began his representative rugby career in 1994 when he became the youngest player to debut for the All Blacks aged 19 years.
In late 1995 Lomu was diagnosed with the kidney disease nephrotic syndrome putting his career on hold and in 2004 he had a kidney transplant.
He returned to playing club rugby in 2005 eventually retiring in 2007.
In 2011 his health issues once again became serious when his body rejected the transplanted kidney. He had undergone dialysis treatment from the early days of his diagnosis until his death.
Lomu was a special guest of honour at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and was a notable figure at the 2015 World Cup in England last month.