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Former All Black hooker and Māori All Black captain Norm Hewitt has died at the age of 55.
His family said Hewitt, who had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, died overnight.
Hewitt played 14 matches including nine tests for the All Blacks from 1993 to 1998, and also captained Hawke’s Bay and Hurricanes.
He was involved in some high-profile incidents involving alcohol off the field, but later spoke out about alcohol abuse and advocated for a number of agencies and charities.
He also won the first season of Dancing with the Stars in 2005.
His family says Norm Hewitt walked confidently in both Māori and Pākehā worlds and was a particular role model for troubled youth, citing his own background, and offering inspirational teachings that one’s present life need not be one’s future.
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