Jonah Lomu was a rugby freak who broke my heart... but we all loved him. This feels like a death in the family

I still can't believe he's gone. Jonah Lomu always seemed such a force of nature and indestructible, even in retirement when he took on his debilitating kidney illness and seemingly made light of it.

He looked so well on his recent trip to the World Cup where, as ever, he was recieved rapturously by the fans.

It's hard to ever recall a more popular player which is a credit to his own personal charm, dignity and honesty. He was a magnificent one-off and as a rugby fan I cherish the memories of his extraordinary presence and great tries. He was so universally loved and admired that this feels like a death in the family.

Jonah Lomu was England's nemesis, but he was still loved by every player around the world

New Zealand legend Lomu pictured posing in 1999 in this iconic photograph of the powerful wing

Lomu sets off on the run that sank England in 1999 by beating Jeremy Guscott's tackle

Lomu then crashed through the tackle of Austin Healy during the delicately-poised World Cup pool match

Lomu left the England wing flattened as he bulldozed through the tackle before steaming on

England wing Dan Luger was the final man to desperately attempt to stop Lomu before the try line

But the All Blacks hero touched down for a brilliant and crucial try that won the game for his side

Lomu took a punch from Lawrence Dallaglio after scoring (left) but had the last laugh in New Zealand's win

As a global sporting icon he is right up there with the immortals because he is the only rugby union player to truly transcend the game. Pele, George Best, Ian Botham, Mark Spitz, Muhammad Ali, Seb Coe, Don Bradman, Diego Maradona, Usain Bolt, Jonah Lomu. You only have to mention these names in most corners of the globe and no further explanation or elaboration is required. That is the definition of a sporting icon.

As far as rugby's pantheon is concerned, Jonah also shares top billing with Gareth Edwards, Richie McCaw, Brian O'Driscoll, Dan Carter and Martin Johnson of those I have watched or coached. I wouldn't care to give you a batting order. They were - and in some cases still are - all extraordinary players in all sorts of ways

Jonah broke a lot of opponents' heart with his incredible play - including mine in our 1999 World Cup pool game - but he was always chivalrous and modest off the pitch. He was a great ambassador for New Zealand generally as a country. The big man was a joy to be around and was a hero to many and not just in New Zealand but around the world. 

Just glancing quickly at social media I was taken immediately by the way so many fans loved him from afar, but also how many players admitted openly that he was their inspiration - Jonny Wilkinson Mike Tindall, Quade Cooper, James Simpson Daniel and many others - the reason they played the game.

What was his great genius as a player and what is his legacy? As a player he really was unique in that never before have we seen the combination of his size - 6ft 5in and nearly 19 stone - with his pace. He was a 10.8sec 100m runner as a schoolboy, the last time they ever put a stopwatch on him, and I have no doubt he was much quicker than that during his pomp before his illness began to kick in a little

Yes Jonah had speed to burn but the thing many people omit to mention is that he was a beautifully balanced runner, up on his toes swerving this way and that. That, in such a big man, was extraordinary. He had a fantastic outside arc and when you get a chance to view many of the YouTube clips in the coming days, note how often he used that pace and balance to make the initial break. Only then did he bring in his brute power and strength.

I'd heard whispers of his exceptional talent from fans returning from the 1994 and 1995 Hong Kong Sevens which served as such a rich breeding ground for exciting talent for New Zealand and Australia in particular in the 1990s. But it was only at the World Cup in South Africa in 1995 that I, like the rest of you, appreciated the full glory of his talent.

In the pool matches I watched open mouthed as he ripped defences to pieces - Wales, Ireland and Scotland were all on the receiving end - and if he wasn't scoring himself players like Josh Kronfeld just lived on his shoulder and struck after he had caused all the damage.

It was quite mind boggling the influence he seemed to exert on the game from out there on the wing but New Zealand knew exactly what a game changer they had amidst their ranks and brought him into play more than almost any wing I can remember.

Then came that historic quartet of tries against England in the semi-final at Cape Town when he seemed like a rugby player, an athlete, from another planet. If I remember correctly Will Carling described him as a 'freak' afterwards and in rugby terms Will was absolutely right. We hadn't seen his like before. He was freakishly big and strong. And freakishly good. 

Lomu runs past Jonny Wilkinson (left), tramples over Phil De Glanville and runs towards Guscott in 1999

Healy (left), Dallaglio (floored) and Neil Back attempt to stop the All Blacks juggernaught at Twickenham

The giant wing hauls scrum-half Matt Dawson to his feet by the scruff of his neck

Clive Woodward reacts after Lomu inspired the All Blacks to a 30-16 victory over England

In retrospect that day in Cape Town was a seminal moment in the game's history. Rugby union would have become professional at some stage for sure but Jonah's box-office status confirmed and accelerated that process.

It was the perfect storm if you like. The World Cup was gathering in strength as a tournament and then, in 1995, we had the extra dimension of the incredible Nelson Mandela story kicking in. Suddenly the eyes of the world were on South Africa and these incredible images of this amazing player and athlete were beamed around the world.

I wasn't in South Africa for that World Cup, I watched here at home in front of the box and felt the full force of those images and it felt clear and obvious that rugby union was at a tipping point. With a star like Lomu to the forefront rugby union was now a very viable product, from this point onwards the market forces would not let it remain amateur for much longer.

The Tri-Nations and Super Rugby competition were created and within months the game had been declared 'open'. The genie was out of the bottle and it was Jonah who prized that bottle open and that is one of the many reasons every professional rugby player in the world, earning a living playing the game they love, feels so fondly and indebted towards Jonah. He was the catalyst that set in motion a chain of events that gives us the great game we now enjoy 

The rampaging try in 1999 was a recurrence of Lomu's staggering dismantling of England four years earlier

Lomu scored four tries in the 1995 semi-final in one of the most awesome displays of rugby ever seen

Jonah certainly caused myself and England plenty of grief at the 1999 World Cup when we had genuine hopes of doing well even though we had drawn New Zealand in the pool stage. If we could top the pool we could be spared a probable quarter-final in Paris against the Boks.

It wasn't a vintage New Zealand side that year... but they still had Jonah. It was 16-16 and we were playing well when he struck with an individual try every bit as good as anything he produced in that 1995 semi-final.

The night before that game we had a team meeting and I told the England lads that I wouldn't want a single New Zealander in my team. England were the best and England were going to win. There was a bit of a murmuring and eventually Will Greenwood put his hand up. 'Clive we have had a bit of a word and, er, the consensus is that we would definitely swap Austin Healey for Jonah.' We knew exactly how important he was. He was their talismanic player and much of our planning revolved around ways of trying to expose him. We failed. Yet again he produced the match-winning moment.

After 1999, health issues became more and more of an issue yet somehow he kept fighting the good fight and never threw the towel in. It was both sad and inspirational to see but at all time he retained his dignity and good humour and any rugby gathering was always the better for his presence and good humour.

I bumped into him once at Twickenham at the recent World Cup and he seemed in great form, enjoying the tournament and full of plans for the future. I feel deeply shocked and moved by his death. One of the greats of sport - not just rugby - has left us much too soon and the coming years will only emphasise that greatness.

Despite his ferocious on-field presence, Lomu was well-loved for his modest personality

Lomu and Dylan Mika (right) fool around on the shoulders of fellow New Zealand team-mates in Cannes in 1999

Lomu died on Wednesday morning at the age of just 40 following a heart attack at his home in Auckland