Former All Blacks hooker Norm Hewitt has died at the age of 55.
He had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, his family said in a statement.
"Although rugby dominated his early life, he established a thriving human relations consultancy after retirement, and his services were much in demand both nationally and internationally," they said.
The haka at Old Trafford in 1997 has gone down in rugby history. (Source: TVNZ)
"He 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."
He was married to Arlene and father to Elizabeth and Alexander.
Hewitt made 23 appearances for the All Blacks, playing nine Tests.
He played provincial rugby with Hawke's Bay, Southland and Wellington, famously leading the latter to the NPC title in 2000 with a broken arm.
He was also a stalwart of the Hurricanes and the Māori All Blacks.
In one of rugby's most enduring images, he went face-to-face with England's Richard Cockerill during the haka at Old Trafford in Manchester in 1997.
In 1999, Hewitt gave an emotional press conference after breaking into the wrong Queenstown hotel room while drunk.
It proved to be a turning point as he confronted his drinking, and we went on to become a public speaker and mentor, and was involved in anti-violence programmes.
In 2005, he won the first season of Dancing With The Stars.
The next year, his brother Rob spent 75 hours at sea after going missing off the Porirua coast while crayfishing. He was found alive.
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