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Tyrone Thompson (rugby)

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Tyrone Thompson
Date of birth (2000-05-28) 28 May 2000 (age 24)
Place of birthMuriwai, New Zealand
Height186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight111 kg (245 lb; 17 st 7 lb)
SchoolNapier Boys' High School
Notable relative(s)Leo Thompson (twin brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2020–2021 Wellington 18 (30)
2022–2024 Chiefs 22 (20)
2022–2024 Hawke's Bay 29 (85)
Correct as of 31 October 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2022–2024 Māori All Blacks 3 (5)
2022 All Blacks XV 3 (0)
Correct as of 6 July 2024
Rugby league career
Playing information
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2025– Newcastle Knights 0 0 0 0 0
As of 31 October 2024

Tyrone Thompson (born 28 May 2000) is a New Zealand rugby union and rugby league player, who plays for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League, having made a code switch from rugby union to league ahead of the 2025 NRL season.[1]

Until recently, he played as a hooker for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition[2] and for the Chiefs in Super Rugby.[3] Internationally, he has played for the Māori All Blacks and All Blacks XV.


Early life and career

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Tyrone Thompson hails from Muriwai, in the Gisborne District in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. At the age of 5, he moved with his family to Napier in Hawke's Bay.[4]

Tyrone and his twin brother Leo attended Napier Boys' High School, where they played first XV rugby together. He captained his team to a Hurricanes Cup 1st XV title, beating the defending champions Hastings Boys' High School 20 - 10 at McLean Park, Napier on 1 September 2018.[5] Eight days later, they played in the National Top 4 Final, which Napier Boys' narrowly lost 28 - 31 to St Peter's College, Auckland. Thompson scored a try in that final.[6]

Thompson attended a Hurricanes Under 17 Development Camp in 2017[7] and a Hurricanes U18 Camp, a year later.[8]

After finishing high school, Thompson and his brother signed a contract with the Wellington Rugby Academy and moved to Wellington. There, he played club rugby for Marist St Pats, the club his father, uncle and cousins have also played for.[9]

Both Thompson brothers represented Wellington at the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 Tournament in 2019,[10] finishing the tournament in third place.[11]

Senior career

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Rugby

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On 28 August 2020, Thompson was named in the Wellington squad for the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup.[12] He made his debut for the Lions - off the bench - against Waikato on 12 September 2020.[13] He earned his first start and scored a brilliant 50m try - his first in the National Provincial Championship - on 25 September 2020 against Bay of Plenty.[14]

Since his arrival in Wellington, Thompson played several games for the Hurricanes U20 team[15] and the Hurricanes Hunters (Development) squad.[16]

On 22 November 2021, Thompson was named in the Chiefs squad for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.[17] He made his debut for the franchise (from the reserves bench) on 19 March 2022 against Moana Pasifika and scored a try on debut.[18]

Also on 19 March 2022, the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union announced that Thompson had signed with the Union and would be joining the Hawke's Bay Magpies for the next two National Provincial Championship seasons.[19] He made his debut for the province – via the bench – on 6 August 2022 against Waikato[20] and scored his first try for the Magpies on 12 August 2022 in a successful Ranfurly Shield defence against Counties Manukau.[21]

League

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On 31 October 2024, NRL team Newcastle Knights announced the signing of Thompson on a National Rugby League Development contract. He would be joining his brother Leo Thompson at the club for the 2025 season.[1][22]

International career

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In 2018, after his last year at Napier Boys' High School, Thompson was named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools team for a three-match international series in Australia.[23] He played in all three games, including a 24 - 12 victory over Australian Schools.[24]

A year later, both Thompson and his twin brother Leo - who are of Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and Ngāti Rangiwewehi descent - were selected to play for the first ever New Zealand Māori Under 20 team in a match against Fiji. The NZ Māori Under 20 team won the game 48 to 31.[25]

Late 2019 and early 2020, Thompson was invited to attend the New Zealand Under 20 trial and development camps in preparation of the 2020 Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship and World Rugby U20 Championship.[26][27] Unfortunately, Thompson missed out on playing for the New Zealand Under 20 team, because these tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28][29]

In June 2022, Thompson was – for the first time – named in the Māori All Blacks squad to take on Ireland on their New Zealand tour.[30] He made his debut for the side on 29 June 2022, when the Māori All Blacks beat Ireland 32–17 in Hamilton.[31][32]

On 26 October 2022, after an outstanding NPC season playing for Hawke's Bay, Thompson was called into the All Blacks XV squad that was named earlier that month for two matches against Ireland A and the Barbarians during their Northern Tour.[33] He made his debut for the side – via the bench – on 4 November 2022 against Ireland A.[34] The All Blacks XV won the game 47–19.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Thompson twin signs with Knights". Newcastle Knights. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  2. ^ @hbmagpies (7 August 2024). "Back". Retrieved 7 August 2024 – via Instagram.
  3. ^ "Tyrone Thompson Chiefs Player Profile". Chiefs. 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Mitre 10 Cup rising stars: Tyrone Thompson on his 50m try and NRL hopeful twin brother". Stuff New Zealand. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  5. ^ "NBHS win Hurricanes title and qualify for Top Four". Hawke's Bay Today. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Napier Boys' High pipped in National Top Four final". Hawke's Bay Today. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  7. ^ "More than 50 players to attend Hurricanes Under 17 Development Camp". Hurricanes (Press release). 15 November 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Hurricanes Under 18 Camp 2018". Hurricanes (Press release). 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Leo and Tyrone Thompson to play at Marist St Pats". Marist St Pats. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Wellington Under-19 squad named for Jock Hobbs Memorial Tournament". Wellington RFU (Press release). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Canterbury win second Graham Mourie Cup title". allblacks.com. 15 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Wellington Lions squad named for 2020 Mitre 10 Cup". Wellington Lions (Press release). 28 August 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Three All Blacks named in Lions squad". Wellington Lions (Press release). 10 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  14. ^ "20-year-old frontrower scores 50m debut try off lineout move". Rugbypass. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Hurricanes U20 side named to play in Napier". Hurricanes (Press release). 26 February 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Hurricanes Hunters named to face Japan A in Tokyo". Hurricanes (Press release). 19 April 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Gallagher Chiefs squad announced for 2022". Chiefs (Press release). 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Gallagher Chiefs named to face Moana Pasifika at Mt Smart Stadium". Chiefs (Press release). 17 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Thompson to return home to Hawke's Bay". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Hawke's Bay Magpies poised for NPC season 'legacy'". Hawke's Bay Today. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Rugby: Hawke's Bay cling on to Ranfurly Shield after late comeback by Counties Manukau". Hawke's Bay Today. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Chiefs and former All Blacks XV star Tyrone Thompson joins NRL club". Stuff New Zealand. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  23. ^ "New Zealand Schools' and New Zealand Schools' Barbarians teams named". allblacks.com (Press release). 23 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  24. ^ "New Zealand Schools' team named to play Australia Schools'". allblacks.com (Press release). 5 October 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  25. ^ "New Zealand Maori Under 20s named for Fiji". allblacks.com (Press release). 20 July 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  26. ^ "New Zealand under 20 programme casts wide net". allblacks.com (Press release). 21 November 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Triallists named for New Zealand Under 20 development camp". allblacks.com (Press release). 13 February 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  28. ^ "Oceania Rugby Under 20s Championships cancelled". allblacks.com (Press release). 22 May 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  29. ^ "World Rugby update on COVID-19 response measures and statement from Sir Bill Beaumont". World Rugby (Press release). 21 March 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  30. ^ "Māori All Blacks squad named for two-match Ireland series". allblacks.com (Press release). 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  31. ^ "Māori All Blacks team named to play Ireland in Hamilton". allblacks.com (Press release). 27 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  32. ^ "Strong first half propels Māori All Blacks to victory". allblacks.com (Press release). 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  33. ^ "All Blacks XV bolster squad ahead of Northern Tour". allblacks.com (Press release). 26 October 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  34. ^ "All Blacks XV name team for historic first match against Ireland A". allblacks.com (Press release). 3 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
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