Mark Nawaqanitawase will switch from rugby union to rugby league this year but will make his Olympic debut before his NRL move to the Sydney Roosters.
The former Waratahs and Wallabies winger has 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?
Nawaqanitawase has been included in the Australian men's rugby sevens team for the Olympic Games.
He was previously drafted into the Australian sevens training camp, with coach John Manenti opting to select him in the final squad despite his relative inexperience in the code.
The final team for Paris was 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, he will link up with the Tricolours once he returns from Paris.
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
- Ben Dowling
- Hayden Sargeant
- Dietrich Roache
- Hadley Tonga
- Hayden Sargeant
- Henry Hutchison
- Henry Paterson
- James Turner
- Mark Nawaqanitawase
- Maurice Longbottom
- Nathan Lawson
- Nick Malouf (c)
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
| New Zealand | Ireland |
| South Africa | Japan |
Pool B
| Australia | Argentina |
| Samoa | Kenya |
Pool C
| Fiji | France |
| USA | Uruguay |
Rugby sevens: Australian men's team Olympic schedule, draw
| Match | Date | Time (AEST) | Stage |
| Australia vs. Samoa | Wed. Jul. 24 | 11:30 pm | Pool |
| Australia vs. Kenya | Thu. Jul. 25 | 3:00 am | Pool |
| Australia vs. Argentina | Thu. Jul. 25 | 10:30 pm | Pool |
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