Nawaqanitawase to quit NRL for home World Cup dreams

Mark Nawaqanitawase is leaving rugby league once his Sydney Roosters contract ends, with the NRL’s leading tryscorer eager to return to rugby so he can represent the Wallabies at the 2027 World Cup.

The biggest deciding factor, Michael Chammas reported in the Herald, was that it’s a home competition.

The same report, which broke on Tuesday afternoon, suggested Nawaqanitawase will be taking up an overseas offer rather than signing with any Australian Super Rugby franchises. A recent change in Rugby Australia’s rules, updated in early August, will allow him to still play for the Wallabies at the hometown World Cup despite playing abroad.

The 25-year-old, who was just crowned RLPA rookie of the year for the 2025 season, has been flip-flopping over his future for some months but made sure to inform the Roosters before he hit NRL free agency on November 1.

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Nawaqanitawase still has a chance to become one of a handful of greats who have represented Australia in both rugby codes, with his place among the 22-man Kangaroos squad heading to England to contest the Ashes basically confirmed. Whether he starts over Zac Lomax, Brian To’o, or Xavier Coates on the wing remains to be seen.

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Nawaqanitawase will be a very big loss for Sydney, especially considering his aerial ability and try-scoring prowess. While it took him some weeks to settle into the thirteen-man code, once he did, he flew; the tricolours backline star ended his rookie campaign in rugby league with 25 tries in two dozen games as the Roosters made it to the semi-finals.

The Roosters will now have as much as $500,000 a season to sign a new winger.