Jonah Lomu has played down speculation linking him with a possible return to Wellington’s colours in time to face the British and Irish Lions this summer.
e Wellington Rugby Union are to open talks with Lomu in the hope of persuading him to make his competitive comeback with the Wellington provincial team.
Wellington play the Lions on June 15, but Lomu – who will make his comeback from a kidney transplant in Martin Johnson’s testimonial game on June 4 – does not anticipate being part of the Wellington set-up by then.
"My goal at the moment is just to play in the game on June 4 and hopefully I’ll go on to play in the National Provincial Competition (NPC) from there,"
Lomu said.
"But we’ll just have to see where that leads me after that."
Wellington coach John Plumtree will talk with the former New Zealand wing at the International Rugby Board sevens tournament in Wellington.
The 29-year-old has yet to decide where he will play his rugby in his home country but Plumtree will be hoping Lomu, who represented Wellington 48 times between 2000 and 2003, will choose to return to the New Zealand capital.
"John Plumtree saw him informally (at the national sevens tournament) in Queenstown and since then has made contact with Jonah and (wife) Fiona,"
Wellington Rugby Union chief executive Malcolm Holmes told The Dominion Post.
"There are a lot of hurdles, but at the end of the day it’s up to Jonah (where he plays). John Plumtree has publicly said he would love to have Jonah back."
Lomu has not played for Wellington since a pre-season match against Taranaki in 2003 but played a part in Wellington’s NPC semi-final build-up last season.
