Former All Black Jonah Lomu's bid to represent New Zealand in the 2007 Rugby World Cup has moved a step forward after the giant winger underwent a kidney transplant.

Lomu, 29, received a kidney from a live donor on Tuesday said his doctor, John Mayhew, following 10 years of dealing with nephritis - a serious kidney disorder that had reduced the mobility of the star of the 1999 RWC to a painful shuffle.

"It is too early to comment on the success of the transplant," said Mayhew. "Surgeons confirm that the operation went according to plan and Jonah is in a stable condition.

"We do not expect to be in position to comment on the success of the transplant for at least three months, at which time we will have a better picture of how Jonah's new kidney is functioning."

The donor, who wishes to remain unidentified, is said to be resting and in good spirits.

"Typically donors are not identified in transplant situations. We respect this and will do all we can to ensure the donor's privacy," Mayhew said.

Earlier this month, Lomu, who played the last of his 63 Tests for the All Blacks in 2002, denied reports one of his friends had volunteered a compatible kidney and that the transplant would take place within a month.

He said then that several "critical factors" had yet to be confirmed.

"Once a donor is identified it can take months for a transplant to occur, and even then there are many factors that can delay the operation," Lomu said in a statement.

Lomu has acknowledged that if the operation was a success he wanted to have a crack at making the next World Cup.

At his peak, Lomu was virtually unstoppable, but in 1996 he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, or nephritis.

He continued playing for the All Blacks until 2002 when his health took a turn for the worse.