A swift Wallabies return could help keep Marky Mark in rugby after NRL exit

Playing for the Wallabies against England in front of a sold-out crowd at Twickenham in November could be an influential factor in keeping Mark Nawaqanitawase permanently in the game after he finishes in the NRL, according to Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh.

But it could also prove vital for the Wallabies just to lock Nawaqanitawase down as an option for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, and close an eligibility loophole that could see the cross-code star poached to play for Fiji or Italy instead.

Nawaqanitawase is one of the NRL’s hottest players, after debuting strongly with two tries for NSW in State of Origin II, and then backing up with a star performance for the Roosters over the Sharks.

With 37 tries from 34 outings in the NRL – at 1.08 tries per game – Nawaqanitawase has the best try-scoring strike-rate of any player since 1980, according to Fox Sports.

The 25-year-old, who played 11 times for the Wallabies before defecting to league, became a dual international last year when he played for the Kangaroos against England.

But Nawaqanitawase is months away from switching back to rugby, having signed a two-year, $3 million deal to replace Marika Koroibete at Japanese club, the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights.

The Roosters flyer originally took a two-year deal in the NRL because of the lure of playing in a Rugby World Cup “on home soil”.

And while it’s almost certain Nawaqanitawase has his eyes on playing for the Wallabies at a second World Cup (he played in the 2023 tournament), changes in eligibility rules – and Joe Schmidt’s snub of Nawaqanitawase in 2024 – means the winger does have other options.

Under “birth right” eligibility changes to World Rugby’s laws in 2022, players who have played for one nation but qualify for another under family heritage (up to a grandparent) can transfer eligibility, after a 36-month stand down from Test rugby.

Former Wallabies Jack Dempsey (Scotland), Christian Lealiifano (Samoa), Scott Sio (Samoa), Adam Coleman (Tonga) and Israel Folau (Tonga) have all transferred allegiances under the rules.

Nawaqanitawase also has Fijian and Italian heritage, and last played for the Wallabies against Portugal at the Rugby World Cup in October 2023. After signing with the Roosters in 2025, the league-bound Waratah was overlooked by Schmidt for Test duties in 2024; instead playing sevens at the Olympics and then joining the Roosters early.

Nawaqanitawase’s 36-month stand-down clock ends on the weekend of the 2026 NRL grand final.

Fiji and Italy both made approaches to Nawaqanitawase before he debuted for the Wallabies in 2022, and it would be a big surprise if they haven’t kept tabs on his eligibility status.

However real the threat, Nawaqanitawase’s selection for the Wallabies on the spring tour would kill it off. Incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss spoke with the big winger earlier last year about the 2027 World Cup campaign, according to informed sources, and there is a strong chance he will go on the tour just weeks after the NRL season.

Nawaqanitawase will qualify for “Giteau Law” selection from his Japan club based on him having played five seasons of Super Rugby (2020-2024).

A swift return to the Wallabies on the European stage could help rugby keep Nawaqanitawase in the long-term, believes Waugh.

The Roosters love Nawaqanitawase and have made it known they want him back in 2029. NRL newcomers the PNG Chiefs and their tax-free salaries may be the only other club who can compete with Nawaqanitawase’s $1.5m a year deal in Japan, though.

Rugby Australia, too, would be outgunned financially, but having Nawaqanitawase eligible for the Wallabies is enough for RA to push for him to not return to league.

“He’s a world-class athlete,” Waugh said. “You see where the game’s going in terms of size and athleticism, in terms of ball contests and space. And he’s clearly excelled since departing. The more athletes we have like Mark within the environment … the more competitive we’re going to be.”

Waugh said the coaches would “work through selection” for the spring tour but pointed to the allure of Test rugby as a selling point to keep him in the 15-man game.

“All we want to do is give him the best possible environment to enjoy and be successful in, and there’s nothing better than playing Test Rugby, in front of 80,000 people every time they run out, or in most stadiums around the world,” Waugh said.

“If he gets the opportunity to go to Europe at the end of the year, then he’ll experience that Nations Championship, and the finals weekend at Twickenham. And then you create an environment where he’s enjoying it, he’s succeeding, and it’s very difficult to leave.”