Thompson was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia, but despite representing Great Britain, never played international rugby for England.
Thompson was described by his tour captain Matthew Mullineux, as having 'a good kick' and having the ability to play at three-quarters and in the forwards.
[2] This would have made Thompson an all round player, because as a specialist full back, the only positions on the pitch excluded by his captain were at half-back.
Thompson played in 13 games of the British Isles tour,[3] including three Test matches against the Australian national team.
The British team lost the opener, and Mullineux reacted by reshuffling his squad, including dropping himself from future Test games, and also selecting Thompson rather than Martelli.