STORMIN' NORMAN

All Black # 938, Norm Hewitt, passed away during 2024 at the age of 55.

Hewitt played 9 test matches and 23 total games for the All Blacks over 6 seasons. He'll be remembered for warming the bench while Sean Fitzpatrick captained the team. He didn't always get along with the team captain. His biography 'Gladiator' told some brutal truths. 

He claimed that there was a significant divide in the All Black team of the early 1990's between senior players and new players. Hewitt described it as a huge gulf, saying that senior players 'treated us like shit' and that 'their arrogance was unbelievable'. 

The call-up of Mike Brewer to the 1993 touring All Blacks by Laurie Mains - despite other fit alternatives - also created a huge divide amongst the touring party. Norm Hewitt describes Brewer as 'Grade A prick'.

In the 1994 All Black trials Sean Fitzpatrick broke his main rival Hewitt's nose in a deliberate and unprovoked act. Hewitt reminds people that later that year, Fitzpatrick was crying foul when his ear was bitten by Johan le Roux.

Hewitt claimed that he experienced serious racist taunts from Sean Fitzpatrick when he started as a player. He claimed it was part of Fitzpatrick's game plan. Fitzpatrick was later accused of racially abusing England's Victor Obogu.

In 1997 Norm Hewitt was disgusted when he was subbed against Wales for Fitzpatrick, who he claimed hadn't been training due to his knee injury and shouldn't have been on the tour. Hewitt had just had 5 seasons on the bench, and just 5 test caps. He was made to apologise to his team for this show of dissent. He was angry at the humiliation and claimed to have lost his immediate will to wear the All Blacks jersey.

He was a hugely respected player and person, across Hawke's Bay, the Hurricanes and Maoridom.