Norm Hewitt: The embodiment of rugby's changing culture

The news of Norm Hewitt's death was a shock to most. Aged only 55, he was also something different, a man from a violent era who realised just what years of alcohol abuse and toxic environments had done to him, and was determined to make a change.

Hewitt's All Black career of nine tests and 14 tour games seems relatively brief, except when you factor in that it spread over six seasons and he spent many more tests watching on from the bench. He had the unfortunate timing of being behind the immovable Sean Fitzpatrick, not only the best player in his position in the world but also All Black captain. This period bridged the gap between amateur and professional rugby, so tactical subs weren't a thing until Hewitt's last year as an All Black. The unfortunate irony was that by the time Fitzpatrick finally retired in 1997, Hewitt only enjoyed one tour's worth of test starts before Anton Oliver took over the starting hooker spot anyway.

But it was at provincial level that Hewitt was an immovable object of his own. He wore the Hawke's Bay, Southland and Wellington jerseys during a 13-year career that saw him play 296 first class games. Memorable moments included midweek tour wins over the British Lions and France for Hawke's Bay in consecutive years, as well as an NPC title for the capital in 2000. That pulsating 34-29 win* over Canterbury at Lancaster Park may well have been Hewitt's finest moment on a rugby field, staying on to repulse a desperate late raid from the home team despite having broken his arm.

That feat of bravery could have been something that defined Hewitt, like the stoic, mostly silent heroes of rugby in New Zealand. There was more to him though, because he'd bared it to the public in a series of drunken incidents over the years. In his autobiography Gladiator, released in 2001, Hewitt claimed that he'd suffered abuse during his time boarding at Te Aute College. The book was an often-bitter account of his frustrations on and off the field. It took aim at John Hart, Fitzpatrick, even a young Jeff Wilson for his desolation after the 1994 Bledisloe Cup loss, among many others. While the book was an admission of his own failings, it was clear that Hewitt wanted to blame others for them.

That abuse led to a cycle of bullying, alcohol abuse and severe anger management problems - to the point where his teammates would be wary of presence after a few after match beers. Things came to a head when he was stripped of the Hawke's Bay captaincy after drunken behaviour, then a very public incident that saw him crash through a motel window in Queenstown in 1999 saw him tearfully apologise on national TV.

Which is what makes what he did next just that much more remarkable. After he hung up the boots, Hewitt changed, took responsibility for his actions and made a concerted effort to make peace with himself. He didn't want to be seen as a role model, rather someone that was attempting to overcome his demons, speaking of how he had embraced Te Ao Māori after originally resenting the fact that he had little connection with it in his youth. Hewitt embraced others walking the same path, making a documentary exploring the experiences of South Auckland sex worker and LGBT advocate Mama Teri - a far cry from his All Black hard man days.

It was this image flip that led him to his famous appearance on Dancing With The Stars alongside professional dancer Carol-Ann Hickmore in 2005. The pair won the competition, another step on Hewitt's redemption arc. Since then, he'd been involved in youth work, drug and alcohol prevention and had opened a free gym in his garage for anyone to either work out or hang out.

In a way, Hewitt was the embodiment of the change New Zealand rugby culture itself has gone through since the unbelievably brutal and boozed-soaked era in which he began. While it certainly isn't perfect now, it's a far cry from the days when getting drunk and acting like a bullying prick was a badge of honour. Hewitt's reflection and response is somewhat mirrored in NZ Rugby's many reviews over the last decade, which has seen a palpable change in the way the game portrays itself.

But Hewitt's passing makes him the latest in a worryingly growing list of former rugby and league players be diagnosed and die of Motor Neurone Disease. He's not even the only player from his old Hawke's Bay team to have succumbed to the condition, with Jarrod Cunningham passing away in 2007 aged only 38.

Hewitt leaves behind a legacy of change for the better, leaving the staunchness and booze behind to find himself as a man. His was a journey of learning and understanding, something the game he loved is constantly trying to do too.

*Three teammates from the 2000 NPC winning Wellington side have also since died: Morne van der Merwe of brain cancer, Jonah Lomu due to kidney failure and Jerry Collins was killed in a car crash.