8 sports figures we lost in 2015

#2 Jonah Lomu

Rugby superstar Jonah Lomu made his international rugby debut in 1994, and immediately came to international renown. The youngest-ever All-Black he was 19 years old when he made his debut for the national side, Lomu was instrumental in the side reaching the finals of the Rugby World Cup the following year, although the team had then lost to the Springboks (South Africa).

That same year, 1995, Lomu was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disorder that can cause serious issues among them total kidney failure.

Lomu took a short hiatus from the sport in the initial days of his treatment, returning to a career where he would see immense success, one that ended with him tied for most goal-score tries fifteen of them, in fact, a record that would only be tied by South Africa's Bryan Habana in 2015.

In addition to the national side, Lomu played with a series of domestic teams during his career. The World Cup legend was a force to reckon with on the field, but off it, he was a gentle giant.

His illness worsened in 2002, and Lomu took a break until 2005 as he had a kidney transplant and rested in the interim. Even after this, however, he returned to his old form, even putting in a man-of-the-match performance in one of his league matches. The injuries he would end up suffering took a toll on his career, and although he was part of a number of match-winners for a time, Lomu would eventually retire from the sport in 2007, only playing in a few charity matches thereafter.

He also dabbled in bodybuilding for a time.

Lomu passed away of a heart attack related to his kidney disorder in 2015, one day after returning from a journey to London. Following his death, a trust was set up to support his sons.