Three members of the 2023 Hawke’s Bay Magpies NPC squad are already winners this year after playing for the New England Free Jacks in a 25-24 win over San Diego Legion in the American Major League Rugby final in suburban Chicago on Saturday.

Established Magpies Kianu Kereru-Symes and Joel Hintz both started at prop for Eastern Conference winners the Free Jacks, and new recruit and wing Paula Balekana, a 30-year-old former pupil of Auckland school Kelston High who has played more than 100 first-class matches for teams in Australia, Italy and the US, was on the left wing and scored his 15th try of the season.

Each side scored three tries in a game in which Western Conference winners Legion started favourites, with legendary All Blacks midfield back Ma’a Nonu MNZM, now aged 41.

In front of a crowd of 10,103, Legion led 17-13 at halftime and Balekana’s try put the Free Jacks back into the lead, with a conversion kicked by player of the match and 31-year-old New Zealand player Jayson Potroz, who has played 32 NPC matches for Taranaki.

Kereru-Symes, Hintz and Balekana were last week named in new Magpies head coach Brock James’ first NPC squad, which also includes halfbacks Brad Weber and Folau Fakatava, prop Pouri Rakete-Stones and hooker Tyrone Thompson, who are with the All Blacks XV in Japan, and New Zealand Under-20 representatives Harry Godfrey, Cooper Flanders, Hunter Morrison and lock Tom Allen, who have been at the Junior World Cup in South Africa.

Meanwhile, James has added three players to the 36-man squad named last week: halfback Connor McLeod, who’s returning from a season with Utah Warriors in the American MLR, wing/fullback and Moana Pasifika Super Rugby player Lolagi Visinia, who has played in 28 matches for Hawke’s Bay, and lock Tiaki Fabish, who has been playing for Bizkaia Gernika in Spain.

Some Hawke’s Bay players are also likely to play in this year’s New Zealand Heartland championship, including Konradd Newland (Napier Pirate) and Semi Vodosese (Central), who have been named in the Whanganui squad.