Rugby Australia hits new low with embarrassing poster blunder on Mark Nawaqanitawase

It doesn’t get any more embarrassing than this, which is no easy feat in the wake of the Wallabies’ worst ever result at a World Cup and the resignation of Eddie Jones.

Mark Nawaqanitawase and the promotional poster Rugby Australia is trying to can.

It doesn’t get any more embarrassing than this for Rugby Australia.

Which in the wake of the Wallabies’ worst ever result at a World Cup, the resignation of head coach Eddie Jones, followed by RA chairman Hamish McLennan quitting, is no easy feat.

Not to mention long-time Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper being sensationally overlooked for the World Cup before then making the shock call to switch to Sevens.

Rugby Australia’s most marketable player, Mark Nawaqanitawase, has gone from the face of the code’s promotional posters to joining the rival NRL.

Rugby Australia spent Thursday hiding their brochures and social media posts which they have used for the past month.

A powerful image of Nawaqanitawase running had been chosen to spruik premium hospitality packages for the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour.

Mark Nawaqanitawase featres on promotiuonal material for the Lions tour.

“Enjoy the amazing atmosphere of the Lions Tour in one of our signature all-inclusive match day functions,” the post reads.

To rugby’s red-faced regret, the only place Nawaqanitawase is running is to the Roosters.

Instead of pulling on the Wallabies jersey to face the Lions in 2025, the 23-year-old will be wearing the tri-colours of the Chooks across the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

The cross-code deal underlines the pulling power of the Roosters, who ironically are next door neighbours to the Wallabies at Moore Park, and so too, the worrying decline in the fervour of the once prized Wallabies jumper.

In the simplest of terms, Nawaqanitawase has chosen the NRL over representing his country.

Rugby Australia have received so many wake-up calls in regards to the perilous state of the game that Nawaqanitawase’s defection should prompt the need for smelling salts.

Mark Nawaqanitawase is on his way from the Wallabies to the Roosters. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Over at the Roosters, they were loath to lob eggs at the windows at Rugby Australia on Thursday.

The Roosters’ press statement announcing Nawaqanitawase’s signing was short and sweet.

A media plan that chirpy McLennan could’ve used when he decided to chest beat the signing of Joseph Suaalii, earlier this year.

“We’re delighted to have secured Mark’s services and look forward to welcoming him to our club in 2025. In the meantime, we wish him all the best for a successful 2024 in rugby union,” the press release reads.

McLennan had tried to claim Suaalii had already generated $50 million in publicity for his sport, while declaring “he’s like the Tom Brady of rugby”.

Snubbed Michael Hooper was on the cover of the official World Cup guide.

The ridiculous Brady comparison came in the same interview in which he boasted he was “always obsessed with getting Eddie back because our cultural and rugby DNA had been destroyed in recent years”.

The plan for Nawaqanitawase is to eventually replace veteran Roosters winger Daniel Tupou.

In the meantime, Rugby Australia needs to find someone to replace their advertising campaign.

They’ve been through this before – the snubbed Hooper was on the cover of the official World Cup guide and listed as the Wallabies’ “star player’’.

Odds-on, they’ll use Suaalii as soon as he lobs in 2025, instead of a current Wallaby, who has already bled for the jersey, even though the 20-year-old has told the Roosters, he’ll eventually be back.

Which in itself, says it all about the state of Australian Rugby.