Kiwi anger as Lomu’s sons front France World Cup bid
wellington — New Zealand sporting pundits on Tuesday accused French rugby officials of exploiting the late All Black great Jonah Lomu’s young sons to promote their bid for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
In a surprise move, the French team produced Lomu’s two boys at a function in London on Monday featuring presentations from the rival bidders for the tournament.
The French rugby federation flew seven-year-old Dhyreille and Brayley, eight, over from New Zealand with their mother Nadene for the event. TVNZ described the pair sitting “awkwardly” on former France winger Sebastien Chabal’s knee as he explained why they were backing the bid.
“Dhyreille was born in Marseille when he (Jonah) came to play (three games for Marseille in 2010),” Chabal said. “As he (Dhyreille) told us earlier, quite simply he is known at school as the ‘Frenchie’ and Jonah Lomu loved France.”
While the links may appear tenuous, Fairfax New Zealand rugby writer Tony Smith conceded Lomu, the sport’s first global superstar who died after years of battling kidney disease, was revered in France and many other parts of the rugby world. But he questioned the ethics of France using two primary school-age boys, who lost their father less than two years ago, as the face of their bid.
“It might be different if they were in their mid-teens, but Brayley was six and Dhyreille five when their beloved dad died,” he wrote.
Smith said their involvement “run(s) the risk of being accused of a word common to the English and French languages: exploitation”.
He suggested the numerous ex-All Blacks currently plying their trade in France, including the legendary Dan Carter, would have been better bid ambassadors. — AFP