Lions' rule blocks Pete Samu from representing Pasifika

Australia international Pete Samu has been ruled ineligible to play for the Pasifika XV against the British and Irish Lions due to tour regulations requiring players to have featured in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Samu, who has 33 Test caps for the Wallabies, had been training with the Pasifika squad and was expected to be a key figure in the high-profile midweek fixture set for July 22, 2025, in Melbourne.

Samu, of Samoan heritage, spent the 2024–25 season playing for Bordeaux-Bègles in France. Although he is set to return to Super Rugby with the New South Wales Waratahs next season, he did not meet the selection requirement that players must have competed in Super Rugby during the current year of the tour.

As a result, his selection was blocked under British and Irish Lions tour protocols.

Pasifika XV head coach Toutai Kefu expressed his disappointment at the ruling. “I’m absolutely gutted, I still can’t believe that they would do it. He would have definitely strengthened us,” Kefu said. “It’s extra motivation for our boys.”

Rugby Australia confirmed that it had hoped Samu would play and acknowledged his strong contribution to the team environment during training. Despite his efforts and enthusiasm, the pre-tour agreement between Rugby Australia and the Lions meant the eligibility rule could not be waived.

Lions assistant coach Johnny Sexton clarified that the decision was not personal. “I think it’s more the rules and regulations of what was agreed before the tour,” he stated.

Despite the setback, the Pasifika XV is expected to move forward with a strong lineup of players from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and other Pacific backgrounds.