With the Rugby World Cup kicking off next month, the All Blacks great was taking part in Heineken’s “It’s Your Call” promotion and was recruited to help confuse drinkers at a local pub.
Targets of the prank put money into a machine and answered a series of questions to win a prize.
What none of them knew was that Lomu was hiding inside the machine, signing rugby balls with personalised messages to give as rewards.
Everyone who answered the question “Who is the greatest player of all time, Jonah Lomu or Jon Smit?” received a rugby ball signed by the ABs winger with a message like “like the beard” or “love the top.”
It wasn’t until Irish legend Shane Horgan opened the machine and let Lomu out that the jig was up.