Mark Nawaqanitawase will switch from rugby union to rugby league in 2025, but he is set for an unlikely Olympic debut before his NRL move to the Sydney Roosters.

The former Waratahs and Wallabies winger has reportedly been selected to represent Australia in the rugby sevens competitions at the Paris Olympics.

The Sporting News has the latest.

MORE: When do the Olympic Games start? | Full Australian Olympics team

Is Mark Nawaqanitawase playing at the Olympics?

According to the Daily Telegraph, Nawaqanitawase will be included in the Australian men’s rugby sevens team for the Olympic Games.

He was recently drafted into the Australian sevens training camp, with coach John Manenti now set to select him in the final squad despite his relative inexperience in the code.

The final team for Paris will be released on July 3.

MORE: Will Australia’s cross-code stars succeed?

It was initially believed that Nawaqanitawase’s Olympic selection would prevent him from joining the Roosters in a mid-season NRL switch.

However, fresh reports state that he will link up with the Tricolours once he returns from Paris.

The Roosters confirmed this news on July 2nd, stating the winger would join the Roosters after the completion of the Paris Olympics.

Nawaqanitawase joined his local Super Rugby side the Waratahs in 2020 before enjoying a breakout season in 2022, where he scored seven tries in 12 matches.

A Wallabies debut followed, and he went on to represent Australia at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. 

Rugby sevens: Australian men’s team, squad

Australia’s team for Paris has not yet been confirmed.

The current 2023/24 season squad consists of:

• Ben Dowling
• Dally Bird
• Dietrich Roache
• Hadley Tonga
• Hayden Sargeant
• Henry Hutchison
• Henry Paterson
• James Turner
• Josh Turner
• Matt Gonzalez
• Maurice Longbottom
• Michael Hooper
• Michael Icely
• Nathan Lawson
• Nick Malouf (c)
• Tim Clements

Rugby sevens: Australian men’s team Olympic pool, group

Australia has been placed in Pool B, which includes Argentina, Samoa and Kenya.

The Australian men’s rugby sevens team has never won a medal at the Olympics – at Rio 2026, they finished eighth and came seventh at Tokyo 2020.

Argentina won bronze in Tokyo and will feature at the Games for a third consecutive time.

Kenya’s best result is 9th-place finish in 2020, while Samoa will be making their Olympic debut this year.

The three pools in Paris are as follows:

Pool A

Pool B

Pool C

Rugby sevens: Australian men’s team Olympic schedule, draw

A draw for the men’s rugby sevens competition has not yet been made.