Pete Samu has been prohibited from playing against the British and Irish Lions due to his lack of Super Rugby appearances.
The 33-year-old flanker was named in the First Nations and Pasifika XV squad to face the visitors during their Australia tour on Tuesday.
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Samu has played for rugby union side Union Bordeaux Begles since 2023 and won the European Rugby Champions Cup with them in May.
He is now with the New South Wales Waratahs, who play in the Super Rugby league in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
Samu has also 33 appearances for the Wallabies, Australia’s national team, under his belt.
But The Roar report that Samu’s non-participation in the league this year has seen the Lions block an appearance for Tuesday’s clash.
Andy Farrell’s side are said to have had the final sign-off on the squad due to a change in opposition.
The Lions were due to face the Melbourne Rebels on their summer tour, but they went into voluntary administration in January 2024.
As per BBC Sport, tour agreement regulations state that First Nations and Pasifika XV players had to play in the 2025 Super Rugby season.
With Samu featuring for Bordeaux in the French Top 14 instead, he is therefore ineligible to play as per the agreed rules.
However, a confusing aspect of the situation is that he played for an Invitational AU and NZ side in their 48-0 defeat last weekend.
A spokesperson for Rugby Australia said: “We had naturally hoped he would be playing in this fixture.”
“We are pleased with the First Nations and Pasifika XV’s preparation for their inaugural match against the Lions at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday,” they added.
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“Pete Samu is a valued member of the Waratahs and has added greatly to the First Nations and Pasifika squad since entering camp.”
The First Nations and Pasifika XV were formed following Melbourne Rebels’ administration.
They are the eighth opponents on the Lions tour, with the first match in a three-Test series against Australia up next on Saturday.
Following defeat to Argentina in Dublin, Farrell and co. have won all five of their matches on their travels.
Wins have come against Western Force, Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs, ACT Brumbies and the Invitational AU and NZ side.
Brisbane hosts the first Test against Australia, with the second and third coming in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
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talkSPORT will have live commentary of Saturday’s match, with kick-off scheduled for 11am UK time.
The Lions won two of their three Tests in their last tour on Australian soil in 2013.
The Lions on talkSPORT
talkSPORT has all of the British and Irish Lions matches live across the network. Eddie Jones is among the star-studded line-up leading the coverage Down Under
June 20, Dublin: Lions 24–28 Argentina
June 28, Perth: Lions 54-7 Western Force
July 2, Brisbane: Lions 52-12 Queensland Reds
July 5, Sydney: Lions 21-10 New South Wales Waratahs
July 9, Canberra: Lions 36-24 ACT Brumbies
July 12, Adelaide: Lions 48-0 ANZAC XV
July 12, Brisbane: Lions v Wallabies
July 22, Melbourne: Lions v First Nations and Pasifika XV
July 26, Melbourne: Lions v Wallabies
August 2, Sydney: Lions v Wallabies
