Winger Nawaqanitawase to make decision on international future next year
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union – Rugby World Cup 2023 – Pool C – Australia v Georgia – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – September 9, 2023 Australia’s Mark Nawaqanitawase in action REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
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SYDNEY, Oct 16 : Dual-code winger Mark Nawaqanitawase said on Friday he will decide on his international future next year and that he is only focused on his next move to Japanese club Wild Knights.
Wallabies coach Les Kiss is keen to secure Nawaqanitawase for the Rugby World Cup but the player’s agent said this week there was no guarantee he would play for the national team again given he would also qualify for Fiji or Italy midway through next year.
Nawaqanitawase responded to the speculation in a post on social media.
“My only focus right now is moving to Japan in a couple of weeks and connecting with my new team at Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights,” said the 26-year-old, who has Fijian and Italian heritage through his parents.
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“I will weigh up my options and make a decision next year on my international future.”
Nawaqanitawase finished up his spell with the Sydney Roosters after his tries helped them to the National Rugby League (NRL) title earlier this month and is returning to the 15-man game on a two-year deal with the Wild Knights.
Kiss confirmed the winger would not join the Wallabies for November’s Nations Championship tests in Europe but thought he would be back in the green and gold of Australia before next year’s World Cup on home soil.
“We’ve had a couple of chats and (we were) always waiting for the end of the year to see where he sits,” Kiss told reporters.
“He’s had a big year, a fantastic year, hasn’t he? So the conversations are being wrapped around making sure we get what’s right for him.
“I think there’s no doubt that you know he wants to be back in the game for us, that’s for sure.”
Kiss, himself a former rugby league winger, said Nawaqanitawase would need some time to readjust to rugby union and was not certain to come straight back into the side.
“Everyone will earn their way,” he said. “But if he’s playing good footy, he’ll be in the mix, that’s for sure.
“It’s a different game in terms of height and how you attack the game, how you move in the game, how you defend, how the aerial game is different, so he’s got a lot of things just to relearn.
“Won’t take him long, that’s for sure.”
Nawaqanitawase made 11 appearances for the Wallabies before switching to the NRL, where he built a reputation as one of the game’s biggest aerial threats as well as someone able to conjure up stunning tries.
Source: Reuters
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