Tyrone Thompson hooks up for third season with the Magpies

Tyrone Thompson playing for the Chiefs against Australian side Western Force in the Super Rugby championship in May. Photo / Photosport

The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union has announced the return of Māori All Blacks and Chiefs Super Rugby hooker Tyrone Thompson for the NPC season, which starts this weekend.

The 24-year-old former Napier Boys’ High School First XV captain, who has played in 23 matches for the Magpies in the past two seasons and was one of three Magpies in the Māori All Blacks team in Japan in the last week of June and first week of July, was not in the initial squad named last week.

It had sparked more conjecture about the possibility of a rugby league switch to join brother Leo in the NRL.

The inclusion in the Magpies was announced on social media on Wednesday, but he had not yet joined the squad and is not in the 23 named on Thursday for Hawke’s Bay’s 2024 Bunnings NPC opener against North Harbour at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday.

Thompson, who played 18 NPC matches for the Wellington Lions before returning to Hawke’s Bay, and having played for the Waikato-based Chiefs in the Super Rugby championship for the past three years is one of three hookers and nine-front row forwards in the Magpies squad who have played Super Rugby or international rugby.

He has also been a prolific try-scorer, with 115 points from 21 of the five-pointers in a combined total of 69 games for All Blacks development side the All Blacks XV, and the Māori All Blacks, Chiefs, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington.

For Sunday’s game Magpies head coach Brock James has retained the starting backline from the July 27 Ranfurly Shield defence in which Hawke’s Bay beat Heartland rugby side Whanganui 80-5.

But there are two changes in the forwards in the loose forward trio, with Frank Lochore replacing Josh Gimblett on the blindside flank, and Tongan international Josh Kaifa starts at No 8 in place of Devan Flanders.

Among those on the subs bench is first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie, the top points-scorer in the championship last year.

The Hawke’s Bay Magpies’ team for Sunday’s 2.05pm Bunnings NPC match against North Harbour at North Harbour Stadium: Tim Farrell, Jacob Devery, Joel Hintz; Geoff Cridge, Tom Parsons (captain); Frank, Lochore, Sam Smith; Josh Kaifa; Folau Fakatava, Harry Godfrey; Ben O’Donnell, Danny Toala, Nick Grigg, Freedom Vaha’akolo; Mat Protheroe.

Reserves: Kianu Kereru Symes, Lolani Faleiva, Joe Apikotoa, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Cooper Flanders, Sam Wye, Lincoln McClutchie, Neria Fomai.