Rising Wallabies winger’s promise to his grandmother and how the prodigious talent was almost lost to Australian rugby before his career even started

Four years after a prophetic promise to his grandmother, former schoolboy rugby player Mark Nawaqanitawase will make a dream World Cup debut for the Wallabies.

Coach Eddie Jones has selected Nawaqanitawase and fellow excitement machine Marika Koroibete as his wingers for Australia’s tournament opener against Georgia in Paris on Sunday morning (AEST).

While his selection comes as no surprise following a string of standout performances for Jones and predecessor Dave Rennie since debuting on last year’s spring tour of Europe, Nawaqanitawase remembers how he came close to losing to rugby.

Nawaqanitase was overlooked for the first XV in his senior year of high school in Sydney and planned to head to New Zealand in 2019 to “see where that could lead.”

“I went to Saint Pat’s and the highest I made there was seconds, a little kick in the back,” he told AAP.

‘I was actually going to go abroad.’

Nawaqanitase debuted for Australia on the Wallabies Spring Tour of Europe and has made his World Cup dreams come true

But now Australian sevens coach John Manenti was having none of it.

“John was actually a big part of my life,” said Nawaqanitawase.

‘His son is one of my good friends from St Pats – we were in the same year – so John has been watching me all my life.

‘He heard I was going to New Zealand and said ‘No mate, just stay’.

So he managed to hook me up with a trial with Shannon Fraser at the (NSW) Waratahs Academy.

“It was right after the HSE.”

Mark Nawaqanitawase is greeted by family members at Sydney International Airport after finishing second in Argentina’s Rugby World Cup U20s

Nawaqanitase considered taking his skills abroad before getting a chance at both New South Wales and Australia

The stylish full-back performed so well in the trial that he was not only recruited by the Waratahs, but also made part of the 2019 Junior World Cup under-20 team.

The rest, as they say, is history.

It was also four years ago, when Nawaqanitawase was just 18 and watching the Wallabies at the last World Cup in Japan, that he told his ‘nonna’ Lorraine that he would be representing Australia at the 2023 global showpiece in France.

“It’s funny that she remembers me telling her I’m going to a World Cup, the next World Cup,” he said.

It’s kind of crazy to think that I said that four years ago. It was a pretty crazy ride.’

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