Less than a year after her son's birth and 15 months on from her international rugby retirement, Wallaroos legend Liz Patu is staging one hell of a comeback.

The 33-cap Test front rower called it quits after Australia's quarter-final exit from the 2022 Women's Rugby World Cup but left the door open for a return to Super Rugby Women's down the line.

Those plans were put on hold after falling pregnant with Patu's first child, Peter, whom she welcomed to the world with partner Vilikesa Raboiliku in July.

"Pregnancy was such a good thing but it's been a tough experience too," Patu told rugby.com.au.

"I'd actually been moving in with my partner at the time I went into labor and we were taking things up about three flights of stairs the day before - I went to bed that night thinking 'gosh, I'm a bit sore'.

"When we got to the doctors the next day, they assessed everything and told me I was 8cm dilated and ready to go. He was born premature at 36 weeks but he's got a Fijian dad and Samoan mum so he looked full term already when he came out!

"It's been tough in a way because I knew my personal time was going away and changing forever but it's also such a blessing that I've had him and I'm so grateful for experiencing that."

Now, just 242 days after becoming a first-time mum, she's set to make her return to top-flight footy in Queensland's 2024 Super Rugby Women's opener against Fijiana Drua.

But it's been far from an easy road back, and one she wasn't sure she'd even set out on.

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