Sydney Roosters recruit and former Wallaby, Mark Nawaqanitawase, has backed plans for international rugby league to eclipse rugby union amid a surge in interest.
The former union star played 11 Tests for the Wallabies and represented Australia in sevens before linking with the Roosters in August.
It was a period that saw him travel the globe representing his country, playing in front of packed stadiums at World Cups, Olympic Games and some of the biggest venues in the world.
The international game has often been cited as a unique aspect of rugby union but after watching last weekend's Pacific Championships final at a sold-out CommBank Stadium, Nawaqanitawase, who has Fijian heritage, backed rugby league's plans to surpass its rival.
A debut to remember: Nawaqanitawase
"Why not?" he said. "It's a growing sport. Here in Australia it's massive, they're headed to Las Vegas and trying to build the sport there. There's no reason why not.
"It's been pretty cool to see the Pacific Championships. Playing sport, you always want to get to the top so one day if I can play internationally, it would be a dream."
Tonga's performances throughout this year's Pacific Championships helped the tournament grow into a marquee event on the rugby league calendar in just its second edition.
Next year will be an even bigger one for international rugby league, with the Jillaroos to take on England in Las Vegas before the Australian men's and women's teams take part in an end-of-season Ashes series.
The Pacific Championships will take another step forward with fierce rivals New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa to face off in the men's Cup. Cook Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea will play in the Bowl in a vital precursor to the 2026 World Cup.
The Sipi Tau has CommBank Stadium going off
Excitement is already high for Tonga's clash with Samoa, with expectations of more than 50,000 fans cramming into a stadium for the Test.
Samoan forward Spencer Leniu said one match is not enough, calling for a three-game series to settle the rivalry.
"There is no bigger rivalry than us and Tonga in the Pacific," Leniu said. "They hate us and we hate them so it’ll be a good game.
"There’s so much respect for them and what they’ve able to achieve for their small nation. Us two countries going at it on the biggest stage would be good for both nations.
"Hopefully they can do an Origin series with us and Tonga. It’s probably the biggest Pacific Island rivalry between us and Tonga. It’s unbelievable to see what they did this year making it to the [Cup] final."
The resurgence of international rugby league has had a remarkable effect on the sport, with players at all levels doing everything they can to represent their country.
Kangaroos v Tonga XIII – Final, 2024
Tongan fans may have outnumbered Australian supporters on Sunday afternoon, but even the Kangaroos were blown away by the atmosphere at CommBank Stadium.
Prop Lindsay Collins said the international game has been the sport's missing piece. Now it's falling into place, there's no holding rugby league back.
"It was one of the better international games I've played in atmosphere wise, it was so good," Collins said. "We talked about it after the game, to see that atmosphere back in the international game, it's only going to get better.
"COVID threw a bit of a spanner in the works but as things get bigger and we start getting more of a roll on with playing international footy at the end of the year, it's going to create momentum and keep rolling."
