Hawke’s Bay Magpies front-row rock to try rugby in the UK

Pouri Rakete-Stones doing what he does best, in successfully defending the Ranfurly Shield against Wellington in Napier in 2020.

Front-row rock rugby prop Pouri Rakete-Stones has made an overseas call, pressing pause on a 10th season for Hawke’s Bay and becoming the Magpies’ next NPC and Ranfurly Shield match centurion.

Rakete-Stones, 28, has played 94 games for the Magpies since his NPC debut in 2017, the year he was also in the last New Zealand team to win the Under-20 World Championship.

He departs after the February-June Super Rugby season with the Hurricanes to link with Newcastle Red Bulls, an English club also known as the Falcons, once coached by late former Magpies coach Peter Russell.

It means Rakete-Stones will not play for Hawke’s Bay in 2026 when the NPC celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The departure was announced by the Hurricanes, with Rakete-Stones leaving the way open for a possible Magpies return in the future, and Hawke’s Bay Rugby waiting with open arms.

A former Napier Boys’ High School First XV member, he was the inaugural winner of the Graeme Lowe award for the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Academy Player of the Year in 2016.

He grew up around the Napier Pirates club and made his NPC debut in the Magpies’ opening match of 2017 against Southland, and was twice in line-ups that won the Ranfurly Shield, against Otago in 2020 and Wellington in 2023.

He has played more than 50 Super Rugby games for the Hurricanes and represented the New Zealand Under-20 side, the Māori All Blacks and second-string national side, the All Blacks XV.

Hawke’s Bay Rugby chief executive Jay Campbell said Rakete-Stones was the “true definition” of a Magpies Man, mixing it in both the tighthead and loosehead sides of the front row.

“A great human off the field, an absolute warrior on it, Pouri embodies everything it means to be a Magpie,” he said.

“Loyal, selfless and always putting the needs of the Magpies first.

“While we never want to see our great Magpies move on, Pouri leaves having achieved so much. Knowing Pouri, there’s still an itch to be scratched, and a 3XL No 1 jersey will be waiting for when the time comes to add those final six Magpies caps.”

Rakete-Stones said he was “sad to leave” but excited to start this next chapter with Newcastle and to explore the United Kingdom and Europe with his family.

Front-row player resources were stretched in the 2025 season, and Magpies coach Brock James is expected to be looking to fill a significant gap.

All players contracted last year remain contracted, Campbell said.

Long-time captain Tom Parsons, now 35 and with 106 Magpies appearances behind him, is turning to coaching.

He was recently announced as part of a Central Hawke’s Bay Rugby Sports Club coaching crew including former Magpies teammates Joel Jintz and Josh Kaifa.

Doug Laing has been a journalist for more than 50 years, reporting in Hawke’s Bay continuously since 1987, for the Daily Telegraph, and, since 1999, for Hawke’s Bay Today, covering most aspects of local and regional news, including sports.