Lomu targets 2007 World Cup date for final All Black bow

JONAH LOMU is hoping a revolutionary kidney transplant operation will enable him to play in the 2007 World Cup in France.

The 29-year-old New Zealand winger, who has 63 caps, has not played an international match since November 2002 because of a serious kidney disease, but has set himself a target of representing the All Blacks in three years’ time.

“I want to play at the highest level for another two seasons,” Lomu said yesterday.

“The road will be long, there will be a lot of obstacles but I have decided on a long-term ambition and that is to play at the 2007 World Cup.”

Lomu was last seen taking part in a promotional event for last year’s World Cup in Australia, and appeared extremely weak and had difficulty walking properly.

“It is true that when I was in Sydney I had huge problems with my toes and it kept worsening until six weeks ago when I almost ended up in a wheelchair,” Lomu said.

“I could not feel my feet anymore and had no strength in my legs either.

“I could not take a bath without falling on the ground. My brain would tell my feet to go left and they would go right.”

But his hopes of playing again were boosted after he received treatment which greatly improved his condition.

And he is now waiting for a new kidney which could allow him to play rugby again.

“I thought it would be impossible for me to play rugby again after a transplant but a doctor from Auckland, Stephen Munn, is ready to try a new surgical operation which would consist of inserting the transplant under the ribcage which is the original place for a kidney,” Lomu explained.

“This is an operation that has already been tried and was a success. It will last for a few hours but Prof Munn is convinced it will work.

“Then my fate will be in God’s hands. If the operation is a success, if there is no rejection and if the nerves of my feet regenerate, then I will start running. Then I will start training and I will do all I can to play rugby again.

“I have not yet said my last word about it all, I want to leave the sport on my own terms and not because of a disease that dictates my life.

“My dream to play for the All Blacks started in 1994 against France and I want it to finish in France in 2007,” he said.