Norm Hewitt, a former All Blacks hooker and season-one winner of Dancing with the Stars, passed away at 55 after battling motor neurone disease.
Hewitt, who grew up in Pōrangahau, Hawke’s Bay, had a notable rugby career with 296 representative matches over 13 seasons for Hawke’s Bay, Southland, and Wellington.
He earned 23 caps for the All Blacks, contributing significantly to the Hurricanes in the early years of Super Rugby. Hewitt is also remembered for his famous haka standoff with England’s Richard Cockerill in 1997. After retiring from rugby, Hewitt became a public speaker, youth mentor, and advocate for violence prevention and animal cruelty prevention with the SPCA.
Despite playing behind All Blacks skipper Sean Fitzpatrick, which limited his test opportunities, Hewitt made significant contributions when he played, including his test debut at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. He continued to make an impact off the field, publicly confronting his alcohol problem and helping others address theirs.
