Pete Samu's Australian Rugby has been confirmed as the back-rower becomes the latest player to sign with the NSW Waratahs until the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The 33-cap Wallaby will return from French club Bordeaux at the end of the Top 14 season, who are currently second heading into the final rounds of the regular season.
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It completes a 'full circle' for Samu, with the Melbourne-born talent starting his career as part of an extended NSW Waratahs training squad.
From here, he was picked up by the Crusaders after a stint with Tasman in the ITM Cup, helping them to back-to-back Super Rugby titles.
Samu was selected for the Wallabies in 2018 after agreeing to join the ACT Brumbies and became an integral part of the Test set-up.
The 33-year-old has been crucial in Bordeaux's push to the European Champions Cup Final and was eager to bring further success to the Waratahs and Wallabies.
“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," Samu said in a statement.
“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.”
He joins fellow overseas Wallaby Matt Philip in committing to the sky blue jersey heading into the future, reuniting with former Brumbies coach Dan McKellar at Daceyville.
“I worked with Pete for a long time, brought him back to Australia from the Crusaders. 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," McKellar said.
“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.”
"Pete is an experienced Test player who has tasted success across multiple teams in multiple countries," RA Head of High Performance Peter Horne added.
“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.”
