Rugby Australia and the NSW Waratahs are happy to confirm Pete Samu will return home to Australian Rugby later this year.
Currently contracted to Bordeaux in the French Top 14, the athletic back rower will link up with the NSW Waratahs at the conclusion of his commitments in France.
Born in Melbourne, Samu was a Moorabbin Rams junior, beginning his journey as a scrumhalf before shifting to the back row as a schoolboy.
Upon finishing school, Samu moved to Cornwall in the UK, spending one season with the St Ives Club before returning to Australia, finding himself in Sydney, where he played his club rugby with Randwick and was briefly in an extended NSW Waratahs training group.
From there he relocated to New Zealand, taking up an opportunity with Tasman in the ITM Cup, eventually earning a call up to the Crusaders where he would make his Super Rugby debut in 2016.
It was in Christchurch, Samu made a name for himself, part of the back-to-back Super Rugby winning sides of 2017 and 2018 and was parachuted days after the final into the Wallabies squad after agreeing to join the ACT Brumbies ahead of the 2019 season.
He made his Test debut against Ireland in Brisbane and featured in nine of the 13 Wallabies' Tests in his first international season - and has gone on to wear the gold jersey on 33 occasions.
Samu was part of the ACT Brumbies Super Rugby AU title winning side in 2020 under current NSW coach Dan McKellar, and went on to become a regular under Dave Rennie, having a particularly memorable 2022 Test season.
In 2023, Samu moved to Bordeaux where he has continued to be part of successful teams, with the Begles set to play in the 2025 Champions Cup Final in Cardiff on May 24.
Samu joins fellow Wallaby Matt Philip in returning to Australian Rugby ahead of this year's British & Irish Lions Tour and has committed until the end of 2027.
Wallaby number 920 and NSW Waratahs recruit Pete Samu said: "My family and I are really happy to be coming home. We've enjoyed our time in France but it's the right time for us to return to Australia.
"It feels like a full circle moment to come back to Sydney, a place I started my journey to playing professional Rugby and I'm looking forward to linking back up with Dan and the Waratahs who I'm confident are heading in a positive direction.
"I'm also highly motivated by the upcoming events in Australian Rugby and will certainly be working hard to give myself the best chance to be part of them and earn another opportunity in the gold jersey."
Rugby Australia's Director of High Performance, Peter Horne said: "Pete is an experienced Test player who has tasted success across multiple teams in multiple countries.
"It's promising to see players based overseas identify the opportunities coming up on home soil in Australian Rugby, and to have him back in our system is a positive for all involved in the game here."
NSW Waratahs Head Coach Dan McKellar said: "I worked with Pete for a long time, brought him back to Australia from the Crusaders [to Canberra with the Canberra Vikings in 2018-2019 and ACT Brumbies from 2019-2023].
"He's a player who brings a real point of difference. He's an athletic backrower with genuine skill. He can open up a game, and has versatility to cover eight, seven or six.
"He has played the game at Test level and obviously had a very good season with Bordeaux in France.
"He's going to be a great addition to our group. He is a quiet man, quietly spoken, but talks through his actions. I look forward to working with Pete again."
Position: Back row
Height: 185cm
Weight: 104kg
Born: 17 December, 1991
Place of birth: Melbourne, Victoria
Test debut: 2018 v Ireland in Brisbane
Wallaby number: 920
Test caps: 33
Super Rugby debut: 2016 v Blues in Christchurch (playing for the Crusaders)
Super Rugby caps: 69 (ACT Brumbies); 34 (Crusaders)
First Rugby Club: Moorabbin Rams
Wallabies v Fiji at 1:30pm AEST on Sunday July 6 at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Wallabies v British & Irish Lions at 7:45pm AEST on Saturday July 19 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Wallabies v British & Irish Lions at 7:45pm AEST on Saturday July 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Wallabies v British & Irish Lions at 7:45pm AEST on Saturday August 2 at Accor Stadium, Sydney
Wallabies v South Africa at 1:10am AEST on Sunday August 17 at Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Wallabies v South Africa at 1:10am AEST on Sunday August 24 at DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Wallabies v Argentina at 2:30pm AEST on Saturday September 6 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
Wallabies v Argentina at 2:00pm AEST on Saturday September 13 at Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Wallabies v New Zealand at 3:05pm AEST on Saturday September 27, Eden Park, Auckland
Wallabies v New Zealand at 5:45pm AWST on Saturday October 4 at Optus Stadium, Perth
Wallabies v Japan at TBC on Saturday October 25 at National Stadium, Tokyo
Wallabies v England, at 2:10am AEDT on Sunday November 2 at Allianz Stadium, London
Wallabies v Italy at 4:40am AEDT on Sunday November 9 at TBC
Wallabies v Ireland at 7:10am AEDT on Sunday November 16 at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Wallabies v France at 7:10am on Sunday November 23 at TBC
