Jordan Petaia

Earmarked for greatness as a teen, Jordan Petaia (PEAR-tayah) is the first 21st century millennial to be selected in a Wallaby squad.

Born in Werribee, Victoria but raised in Brisbane, Petaia only started playing rugby in 2013. A stellar 2017 Queensland and Australian Schoolboy campaign was the stepping-stone to his near-meteoric rise twelve months later. In February, a month before he had made his Premier Rugby debut for Wests, Petaia was ‘so impressive’ in Queensland's internal, pre-season trial that Queensland coach Brad Thorn added him to the Reds’ Super Rugby squad. Petaia then made history in round eight against the Brumbies in Canberra when, at 18 years and 24 days, he became the youngest Queensland Super Rugby player of all-time.

Petaia would win selection on the Wallaby Spring Tour and looked set to become the third youngest Test capped Wallaby of all-time before hamstring soreness forced him to withdraw at the eleventh hour from the side to play Italy.

Petaia started the 2019 Super Rugby season in red-hot form before he ruptured the Lisfranc ligament in his left foot against the Crusaders in round three. The injury saw him ruled out for the remainder of the tournament, however Petaia returned to earn a berth to his first Rugby World Cup and went on to make his Test debut, against Uruguay in Oita.

Petaia would be in and out of the Wallabies squad for the next few years as he dealt with further injury setbacks.

But the Wallaby was back fit for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, starting at outside centre against Georgia, Fiji and Wales.

He'd depart for a brief stint at trying to make an NFL roster, trying out for the Los Angeles Chargers. Whilst he featured on their pre-season squad, a return to rugby union come quickly as he signed with Top 14 team Perpignan.

Petaia was recalled to the Wallabies squad in 2026 for the one-off Test against South Africa as he prepared to join Japanese Rugby League One side Urayasu D-Rocks