This World Cup could be the last time rugby fans see the titanic winger Jonah Lomu playing rugby union with the All Blacks - or anybody else. An approach has already been made to his manager Phil Kingsley-Jones by several NFL American football clubs where a move could earn him a salary of £2 million a year, almost 10 times what he now earns from rugby. Lomu's contract runs out next month.

A number of English rugby clubs have also shown an interest but the chance of any club playing him even £500,000 a year has been scuppered by the newly-imposed limit capping the total squad salary at £1.8 million.