Footy legend turned actuality TV star throws sport into mourning as he dies aged simply 55

Norm Hewitt, a former All Blacks hooker, Dancing with the Stars winner, and advocate for susceptible youngsters, has handed away on the age of 55 after a battle with motor neurone illness. 

New Zealand media has reported that Hewitt died on Monday night time, following the lack of his former Hawke’s Bay and Hurricanes teammate Jarrod Cunningham, who succumbed to the identical illness in 2007 on the age of 38.

Motor neurone illness (MND) is a progressive neurological dysfunction that impacts the nerve cells accountable for controlling voluntary muscle actions, resulting in muscle weak point and atrophy. 

It impacts actions comparable to talking, strolling, respiration, and swallowing, in the end leading to extreme bodily impairments.

Hewitt grew up in Porangahau, southern Hawke’s Bay, and performed 296 consultant matches throughout a memorable first-class rugby profession spanning 13 seasons for Hawke’s Bay, Southland, and Wellington. 

He earned 23 caps for the All Blacks over 9 seasons and was a key member of the Hurricanes within the early years of Tremendous Rugby, lacking only one match within the first 5 years.

Hewitt first made the All Blacks as an understudy to Sean Fitzpatrick within the 1993 sequence in opposition to the British and Irish Lions and later that yr toured Scotland and England. 

He made his Check debut in opposition to Eire on the 1995 World Cup. 

Whereas an All Black, Hewitt had a well-known Haka standoff with England’s Richard Cockerill in 1997. 

The pair got here face-to-face in an intense showdown earlier than the match at Previous Trafford in Manchester. 

Hewitt later described the incident, which ended with pushing and shoving between the pair, and the English group standing toe to toe with the All Blacks, as an ingrained a part of ‘rugby folklore.’

‘It was like there have been solely two folks on that area,’ Hewitt stated on the time.

‘At one level I believed to myself, ‘if I had a patu [club] I might have reduce his head off,’ and I used to be going into that place. I do not know why … it was a giant sport and we had been going to warfare and he is my enemy, [a] kill or be killed situation. 

‘I likened it to that and yeah, I suppose it’s now a part of that folklore very similar to when the Irish stepped over the road with Buck Shelford.’

Highlighting his toughness, Hewitt performed on regardless of having damaged his arm within the essential dying stage of Wellington’s 2000 NPC remaining win.

An entire new group of Kiwis fell in love with Hewitt when he received the primary season of Dancing with the Stars alongside skilled dancer Carol-Ann Hickmore in 2005. 

The primary New Zealand sequence of Dancing With The Stars featured a line-up of expertise, together with actor Shane Cortese, comic Ewen Gilmore, Silver Fern Bernice Mene and entertainers turned politicians mayor Tim Shadbolt and Georgina Beyer.

But it surely was Hewitt who set the sequence on fireplace, because of his personalised pasodoble  [Spanish double step] with associate Carol-Ann Hickmore. 

Combining parts of the Haka with wonderful footwork and posture, Hewitt received the primary excellent rating of the sequence and had the studio viewers on its ft.

Hewitt additionally turned a New Zealand redemption story after he discovered faith and turned away from violence and alcohol, changing into a champion for leadership-building and the anti-violence message. 

In 1999, he drunkenly broke into the mistaken Queenstown resort room. He later broke down in tears at a press convention and apologised.

‘In 1999 I used to be at a crossroads with my behaviour and needed to make some key selections. One was to cease consuming,’ he stated in a current interview.

In a confronting documentary, ‘Making Good Males,’ Norm revisited his early years when, as a senior at Te Aute Faculty, he severely assaulted his schoolmate, Manu Bennett, who has since change into a global actor, identified for roles like Slade Wilson in ‘Arrow.’ 

Collectively, the 2 checked out what formed them as much as that defining second and located reconciliation with one another and themselves. 

The documentary additionally culminates in a strong and shifting second of reconciliation with Norm’s father.

Amongst his many charities, Norm was a ‘kahukura’ [influencer] for E Tū Whānau, a Māori initiative that focuses on strengthening whānau to result in modifications that stop violence. 

‘It has been a tremendous journey. As a lot as I needed to work onerous as an athlete, I needed to work 10 instances as onerous to be a father and a husband,’ Hewitt informed the Salvation Military. 

‘Nothing is larger than that.’

Hewitt was additionally honored within the hit Kiwi present ‘Flight of the Conchords,’ with co-creator Jemaine Clement revealing, ‘We got here up with the identify Murray Hewitt by combining the names of two well-known NZ rugby gamers: Murray Mexted and Norm Hewitt. Thereby creating essentially the most New Zealand identify attainable.’

Tributes are flowing on social media. 

‘Relaxation in peace brother. Rising up, you had been an idol of mine. Condolences to your loved ones and all who knew you,’ one fan posted. 

‘Vale Norm. Warrior. Survivor. 2000 nonetheless shines in my reminiscence,’ posted one other.