Marky Mark opens up on World Cup call … and the emotional Roosters moment as NRL return remains ajar

Mark Nawaqanitawase says representing either Fiji or Italy over Australia in next year’s Rugby World Cup is a genuine possibility.

The recent NRL premiership winner’s attention is now shifted to the 15-man code after his rugby league stint and he’ll link up with Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights in the coming weeks.

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In the wake of the grand final success for the Roosters, Nawaqaanitawase turned heads in the rugby union circles when he revealed he is weighing up a shock allegiance switch.

While it was assumed he’d don the green and gold for next year’s World Cup, Nawaqanitawase has confirmed he is considering either Fiji or Italy as well with his father Fijian and his mother of Italian heritage.

As he explained on The Good, The Bad, The Rugby podcast, both cultures are ingrained in him, which is leading to a tough decision he has yet to make.

“I’ve grown up in a household full of Fijians … And growing up in a house full of Fijians, I’ve grown up my whole life with not just my mum and stepdad and brother and sister, it’s been us, plus another Fijian family, and it’s been on rotation. They stay for two years and another one will come in,” Nawaqanitawase told the podcast.

“The other side of it is my mother’s fluent in Italian and my aunties and grandparents have grown up on the same street. Any special event, there’s been Italian food around and the language being spoken about.

“I will obviously have a few things to think of. I want to make sure wherever I go, I’m happy, and the people around me, my family, are happy too.

“There’s a lot to think about. These decisions will have a massive impact on how your life goes.”

While Nawaqanitawase’s future beyond the World Cup and his two-year Wild Knights contract isn’t certain, he has left the door open to rejoining the Roosters and NRL one day.

Reflecting on a whirlwind two and a bit seasons with the Chooks, Nawaqanitawase said he’ll miss the club dearly, especially the people inside the four walls.

“Probably the best part is the people in the club,” he said.

“I obviously had a bit of a challenge when I was about to start. My father passed away. Not many people know this, but at the funeral, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dylan Napa and board member Luke Ricketson were the first people there.

“It was crazy, especially for my mom who hated rugby league and didn’t want anything to do with it and the reputation it had. But it goes to show the type of people they are and the type of club they are.”