Hawke's Bay Magpies on tour in the Northern Hemisphere

Hawke's Bay Magpies hooker Tyrone Thompson, who has made the most of the 2022 season to gain a place on the two-match All Blacks XV's venture in the UK. Photo / NZME

At least 10 members of this year's Hawke's Bay Magpies will be playing international rugby in the UK and Europe following this week's addition of front-row forwards Pouri Rakete-Stone and Tyrone Thompson for back-up squad the All Blacks XV.

Their selection comes amid a wave of All Blacks and All Blacks XV squad changes, including Magpies teammate Brad Weber being promoted in place of injured fellow Magpies halfback Folau Fakatava in the All Blacks squad, who start their tour with a match against Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.

The All Blacks XV play just two matches, the first against Ireland A in Dublin on November 4.

Also in the All Blacks squad in Japan is long-serving lock Brodie Retallick, who in August played a part of the Magpies' Ranfurly Shield defence against North Harbour – his first appearance in the black-and-white hoops for over a decade despite living in Napier and being registered with Waipukurau club Central – while loose forward Marino Mikaele-Tu'u is in the All Blacks XV squad.

Other Magpies on international duty in the Northern Hemisphere are Stacey Ili, Danny Toala and Ereatara Enari with Manu Samoa, and Solomone Funaki and Anzelo Tuitavuki for Tonga.

Manu Samoa's tour opens against Italy on November 5 in Padua, and Tonga's on the same date against Spain in Malaga.

Weber, Fakatava, Retallick and Mikaele Tu'u were all this week named in Super Rugby competition squads for 2023, along with fellow Magpies Tyrone Thompson, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Devan Flanders, Jonah Lowe, and hooker Jacob Devery, who gets a full contract with the Hurricanes despite having not played since suffering a serious injury in only his second match after a late call-up for the Hurricanes earlier this year. He subsequently missed both the Hawke's Bay club rugby and Magpies NPC seasons.