{"id":352765,"date":"2023-12-09T23:30:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T00:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=352765"},"modified":"2023-12-10T01:01:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-10T01:01:30","slug":"nrl-defector-clips-laughable-code-war-suggestion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=352765","title":{"rendered":"NRL defector clips 'laughable' code war suggestion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Code-crossing rugby star Mark Nawaqanitawase says suggestions he's left union for league out of spite are "laughable" at best.<\/p>\n

The winger is set to ditch the Wallabies<\/a> and Super Rugby Pacific<\/a> outfit the NSW Waratahs<\/a> to join the Sydney Roosters<\/a> in the NRL<\/a> once his current one-year contract with Rugby Australia<\/a> expires at the end of 2024.<\/p>\n

Speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald<\/em><\/a> for the first time since the announcement, Nawaqanitawase said the move isn't being made as some form of retaliation for the Wallabies' woeful Rugby World Cup campaign in France under Eddie Jones.<\/p>\n

Watch the World Rugby Sevens on the home of rugby, Stan Sport.<\/strong><\/em> Every round exclusive, ad free, live and on demand<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Instead, the 23-year-old sees playing for the Roosters as an opportunity he couldn't say no to.<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

"I'm not doing this code change in any way to have a crack at rugby," said the Sydneysider.<\/p>\n

"I love the sport and it's got me to this position in life. To see some of the stuff that is being said is actually quite laughable.<\/p>\n

"I'm not some part of a code war, I'm just doing what is right for me right now, and the opportunity at this young age to play for a club like the Roosters is something that I could not knock back."<\/p>\n

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A two-year contract with the Sydney Roosters means he'll not be available for the Wallabies and their 2025 British & Irish Lions tour.<\/p>\n

He remains an option for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, assuming he makes himself available and is wanted by the Wallabies.<\/p>\n

Nawaqanitawase spoke positively about his forthcoming deal with the Roosters, foreshadowing a lengthy stay in the NRL should it be offered.<\/p>\n

\"Roosters<\/p>\n

"That's just going to depend on how things go over the next couple of years, and if I fall in love with the game (rugby league) like I expect to do," he said of a Rugby World Cup return.<\/p>\n

"I'd be silly not to look at things in 2027 when it comes to rugby, but right now that is a long way down the track and a lot can happen in that time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

"Of course, I wouldn't rule anything out but, to be honest, the opportunity I've got right now is one that not many people my age could hope to get."<\/p>\n

Nawaqanitawase will play for the Waratahs and Wallabies in 2024 before joining the Roosters in 2025. His contract with the NRL club goes through to the end of 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Code-crossing rugby star Mark Nawaqanitawase says suggestions he's left union for league out of spite are "laughable" at best. The winger is set to ditch […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":352767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352765"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=352765"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352765\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":352769,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352765\/revisions\/352769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/352767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=352765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=352765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=352765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}