Zac Lomax reveals how influence of ‘courageous’ Sonny Bill Williams helped him to switch codes
Western Force flyer Zac Lomax and former All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams (inset).
Western Force speedster Zac Lomax has opened up on how former All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams helped him to make the switch from rugby league to union.
Last month, Lomax made the move to the 15-a-side code after signing a two-year contract with Rugby Australia and the Force.
The 26-year-old is an experienced rugby league player who made 133 appearances in the NRL after spells with the St. George Illawarra and Parramatta Eels clubs and he also represented New South Wales in the State of Origin series and Australia at international level.
He walked out on a three-year contract with Parramatta Eels last year and was initially heavily linked with a move to the rebel league, R360.
However, R360’s plans to launch its global rugby series in 2026 have been pushed back until 2028 which meant there was uncertainty over Lomax’s future.
Scored his first try against the Crusaders
He then agreed terms to join the Force and has already made two appearances for the Perth-based franchise, scoring his first try in his first start when they sealed a 31-26 victory over defending Super Rugby Pacific champions the Crusaders last week.
Williams had trodden a similar path to Lomax as he abandoned a flourishing rugby league career in 2008 when he left NRL outfit the Canterbury Bulldogs to join French side Toulon in 2008 before signing a deal with the New Zealand Rugby Union in 2010.
He went on to have a successful career in rugby union as he won back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015 and Lomax revealed how influential Williams was in helping him to switch codes.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to lean on him a couple times, but I guess for me, Sonny’s just a person that I admire too, just the way that he’s gone about it, but I more or less admire Sonny from a family standpoint,” he told the Full Force Podcast.
‘He’s courageous’
“He’s just such a good human being and that’s what I love about him, but he’s the kind of person that I’ve admired in the sense that he’s courageous and he’s backed his ability and obviously he’s backed it up time and time again.
“I guess he’s just a mate that I’m fortunate enough to be able to keep in touch with here and there.”
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Lomax also credited his partner, family and friends for making the transition to rugby union and is keen to give it his best shot at being successful in his new sports code.
“It works out, it works out, if not then I’ve given it a red-hot crack,” he added.
“But I’m going to throw every ounce of me into it to be the best Zac Lomax that I can as a rugby union player.”
The Force will not be in action in Super Rugby Pacific this weekend as they have a bye but will face the Waratahs in an Australian derby in Sydney on May 1.
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