Nawaqanitawase brings up the big 50

Amidst a raucous crowd in Laukota, there will be a small patch of fans cheering the NSW Waratahs and Mark Nawaqanitawase on his return to Fiji.

Nawaqanitawase and the Waratahs will play in Fiji for the first time in their history as they head to Churchill Park for the double-header on Saturday.

The Waratahs missed the trip last season, with their 'away' game against the Drua played at Super Round.

The winger is one of several in the squad with Fijian heritage, with his father's family living in Nalebaleba, almost two hours away from the ground.

His cousin Jone Koroiduadua is in the Drua squad, however, dropped out of the 23 for this clash despite starting the last two matches.

“I think the whole village is trying to get out there which would be pretty cool," Nawaqanitawase said. “It’s just hard to find some tickets because they’ve already sold out the whole thing so it’s been pretty special.

“It’s very special to have a Fijian side in Super Rugby Pacific and for a lot of the boys who have Fijian heritage, it’s pretty cool to be able to go back to where the families are from and play in front of them

“It’s also pretty cool to experience this with all the other boys here in my team. They love us Fijian boys and it’ll be pretty cool and special for them to see what it’s like over there and enjoy the atmosphere.

“It’s very exciting for all of us.”

It will double as Nawaqanitawase's 50th game in the sky blue, having established himself as one of the premier wingers in the world.

He burst onto the scene with a special double against the Crusaders, almost engineering a remarkable victory.

However, it took until 2022 for Nawaqanitawase to establish himself as a regular starter for the Waratahs, parlaying his into a dream Wallabies call-up that saw him play against Fiji as part of Australia A in July.

“It’s a very special game this week. To think I’ve come this far, let alone play one game, It’d be pretty cool to run out (for the 50th) and to do it in Fiji as well, it’s pretty special," he admits.

“I’m grateful for the opportunities that I’ve been given.”

Nawaqanitawase understands what makes the Drua so difficult to stop at home, although understanding and executing are two separate entities.

“They’re Fiji,” he said with a smile about what makes the Drua so successful at home.

“They obviously love the game over there, it’s the number one sport and every team the Drua runs out you can see on the TV how packed it is and the fans go crazy.

“The players use that energy on the field and I’m sure it’s going to be a big crowd out there. We’ll have a tough day but I’m sure our boys are ready for it.