Campese debuted for the Wallabies on the 1982 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand, during which he scored one try in each of his first two Tests. In 1983, he equalled the then Australian record for most tries in a Test, scoring four for Australia against the USA. He toured with the Eighth Wallabies for the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland that won rugby union's "grand slam", the first Australian side to defeat all four home nations, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, on a tour. He was a member of the Wallabies on the 1986 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand that beat the All Blacks 2–1, one of six international teams and second Australian team to win a test series in New Zealand. He participated in the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, during which he broke the then world record for most tries scored by an international rugby player in the semi-final against France. Campese was a member of the Wallabies that won the 1991 Rugby World Cup, during which he was the tournament's equal leading try-scorer with six, and acclaimed "Player of the Tournament".
