Hawke’s Bay Magpie Tyrone Thompson switches codes to join twin brother in rugby league

Hawke’s Bay Magpies rugby player Tyrone Thompson has switched codes from union to league to play with twin brother and new Kiwis international Leo Thompson at NRL club Newcastle Knights.

Tyrone Thompson in his last match for the Hawke's Bay Magpies, the NPC Battle of the Bays quarterfinal against Bay of Plenty, in Tauranga on October 12. Photo / Aaron Gillions - Photosport

The subject of media speculation for about a year, the signing was confirmed in a Knights statement on Thursday.

The club says the Newcastle Knights will have another set of twins playing in red and blue next season, with Thompson joining in 2025 on a National Rugby League Development contract, after recently completing his commitments with New Zealand Rugby Union.

Knights head of recruitment Peter O’Sullivan was reported to be excited about what the Māori All Black and All Black XV player adds to the Knights, who scraped into the top eight this year and were beaten 28-16 by North Queensland Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.

“Tyrone is a very gifted player, with a burning desire to follow in his brother’s footsteps and play in the NRL,” O’Sullivan said.

He said he “vividly” remembers seeing the twins play for Napier Boys’ High School – Leo Thompson at centre and Tyrone, the NBHS captain, in the forwards.

“They were both elite players who stood out,” said O’Sullivan.

“To be prepared to walk away from where he is comfortable in the All Blacks system and have a crack at the NRL, shows his desire to follow Leo into the NRL,” he said.

“He can’t wait to begin that journey to becoming a Knight.”

The Knights fans are baying for success, their team having not reached an NRL final beating Parramatta Eels 30-24 in the 2001 final.

The 24-year-old Thompson is originally from Muriwai, near Gisborne, and moved to Hawke’s Bay with his family at the age of five.

He played in 18 games for NPC side the Wellington Lions in 2020-2021, and 29 for the Magpies back in Hawke’s Bay in 2022-2024.

He also played in 22 matches for the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific, three for an All Blacks XV in 2022, and three for the Māori All Blacks in 2022-2024

Thompson has been a prolific try-scorer, with 17 for the Magpies, six for Wellington, four for the Chiefs, and one for the Māori All Blacks.

He had a big school first fifteen year in 2018, captaining NBHS to a Hurricanes Region schools title with a 20-10 win over Hastings BHS at McLean Park, Napier.

Eight days later he led Napier in a national schools final in which they were beaten 31-28 by Blues region champion and Auckland side St Peter’s College, after Napier led 21-5 at halftime.

The speculation over Thompson’s move started last year after Australia Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys made an NRL salary cap announcement, enabling clubs dispensation to attract talent from rugby union.

In February, Thompson said he had not signed, and, after playing for the Chiefs in this year’s Super Rugby Pacific final, returned to the Magpies squad, which already had Super Rugby hookers Kianu Kereru Symes and Jacob Devery.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalism experience, 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.