The son of late All Blacks icon Jonah Lomu has made a shock revelation \u2013 if he follows his famous father into rugby, it\u2019s France he wants to represent.<\/p>\n
Dhyreille Jonah Lomu, a winger like his dad, was born in France during Jonah\u2019s brief stint with Marseille, meaning international eligibility wouldn\u2019t be an issue.<\/p>\n
Nicknamed\u00a0\u2018Frenchie\u2019\u00a0at school in New Zealand, Dhyreille is already turning heads at age-grade tournaments and is showing early signs of serious talent.<\/p>\n
Jonah\u2019s time in France came towards the end of his glittering career, which also included a spell at Cardiff Blues. Tragically, the global rugby superstar passed away in 2015.<\/p>\n
Jonah finished with\u00a063 caps and 37 tries\u00a0for New Zealand \u2013 and is still widely regarded as the game\u2019s first global megastar.<\/p>\n
But while Jonah lit up the rugby field, his teenage sons Brayley and Dhyreille are carving their own path \u2013 with a tennis ball, not a rugby one.<\/p>\n
Their dream of becoming professional athletes led to a switch four years ago from traditional schooling to Te Kura, New Zealand\u2019s correspondence school, so they could maximise their training time.<\/p>\n
\u201cProfessional sport is hard, but playing tennis is our life. I love all kinds of exercise, and doing online school means we can fit in a lot more training,\u201d\u00a0says Dhyreille, who strongly resembles his famous dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cDepending on when we can get court time, I can be playing tennis from 9am until about 7.30pm.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dream is to become a number one professional tennis player in the world,<\/p>\n
\u201cDad will always be the best and I thought to maybe give something else a try cause I\u2019ll never be better than him,\u201d<\/p>\n
Their mum Nadene, and grandfather Mervyn, play a huge role in their development \u2013 with Mervyn often coaching and shuttling the boys across Auckland for court time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe love within our family is pretty special,\u201d\u00a0says Nadene.\u00a0\u201cDad and the boys cruise and gym together. I\u2019m very grateful to have parents who love me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The brothers are humble and well-mannered \u2013 quick to help, respectful, and focused. Brayley is the quieter of the two, but admits:<\/p>\n
\u201cDhyreille is the most competitive by far!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGoodbye, caterpillar ruck\u201d \u2013 Five more rugby law changes for 2026<\/p>\n
In this piece, we spotlight four specific laws that deserve reconsideration\u2014proposed not out of criticism, but from a deep respect for the game and a passion to see it continue to thrive for players and fans alike.<\/p>\n
World Rugby has shown a readiness to adapt in recent years\u2014these ideas could mark the next step in that ongoing evolution.<\/p>\n
Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel\u00a0<\/a>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n 1. No more draws<\/p>\n Rugby is one of the most thrilling sports in the world, but draws often leave players and fans frustrated. After 80 minutes of hard-fought action, neither team winning can feel unsatisfying and anticlimactic. Introducing golden point\u2014where the first score in extra time wins\u2014would give matches a clear, decisive ending.<\/p>\n Golden point also encourages attacking rugby. Teams would be pushed to take risks, go for tries, or attempt drop goals rather than playing safe for a draw. Every possession would matter even more, and fans would be treated to the kind of high-stakes drama that other sports, like rugby league and AFL, have long enjoyed.<\/p>\n It would make competitions simpler and fairer too. League tables, knockout tournaments, and international fixtures often rely on tiebreakers to separate teams after draws. Golden point ensures there\u2019s always a winner on the scoreboard, rewarding performance rather than chance or points difference.<\/p>\n Player welfare concerns can be managed by limiting extra time to short bursts\u2014say two five-minute halves or a first-score-wins rule within 10 minutes\u2014keeping the game exciting without overtaxing athletes.<\/p>\n Golden point wouldn\u2019t just make rugby more exciting\u2014it would make it fairer, more competitive, and in tune with the modern expectation that every game should have a winner. With more tight contests in both club and international rugby, there\u2019s never been a better time to adopt it.<\/p>\n 2. Fewer Substitutions<\/p>\n Rugby has changed significantly over the years, and one of the biggest shifts is how the bench is used. These days, teams often bring on almost an entirely new forward pack late in the game. Big, fresh players crash into tired defenders, making the final 20 minutes less about skill and endurance, and more about brute force. Many fans and former players feel this has turned rugby into a collision sport rather than a contest of stamina and intelligence.<\/p>\n Reducing the number of substitutions would encourage players to pace themselves. Space would open up in the second half, creating more opportunities for creative play rather than endless phases of pick-and-go. It would reward fitness, smart decision-making, and those capable of performing for the full 80 minutes.<\/p>\n Fewer substitutions wouldn\u2019t just make the game more exciting\u2014it would make it fairer, safer, and more in line with the spirit of what rugby has always been about.<\/p>\n With the rise of 6\u20132 and even 7\u20131 bench splits, pioneered by Rassie Erasmus, the trend seems to be heading in the opposite direction. That\u2019s all the more reason to act now.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n