He played with ‘Marky Mark’ at the Olympics. Now Dietrich Roache is replacing him at the Roosters

The Roosters have just signed a rugby sevens exponent who has represented Australia at the Olympics. Sound familiar?

Dietrich Roache, a two-time Olympian and former sevens teammate of Mark Nawaqanitawase, has signed with the NRL club just before the June 30 deadline. While Nawaqanitawase is switching back to rugby at the end of the season, Roache is coming the other way.

After six years on the Sevens circuit – including competing at his first Olympics while still in his teens – Roache will chase another life-long dream after joining the 13-man game.

“Obviously I’m very excited, coming from a league background and playing it at school,” Roache said.

“I’m keen to get the opportunity to show what I have and get stuck into the work. I feel like it’s a good time. I’m at that halfway mark of an average career.

“I’m pretty happy with [my] Sevens [career]. I had a blast there, and it was a dream come true to play for Australia. I’m really lucky to have the opportunity and play professionally for six years.

“With this opportunity with the Roosters, it’s definitely something I couldn’t say no to. I transitioned [to rugby] as I finished school and that little ‘what if?’ has always been in the back of my head. I get a chance now to see what I’ve got.”

Roache, who turns 25 next week, has scored 70 tries in 30 tournaments across his Sevens career. Some of his most special moments – including representing Australia at the Paris Olympics and Commonwealth Games – have been shared alongside teammate Nawaqanitawase.

The prospect of again playing with each other at the Tricolours has them both excited.

“That would be hilarious,” said Nawaqanitawase from NSW Blues State of Origin camp. “Surreal. Hilarious. It would be everything.

“It’s an exciting opportunity. We’ve had some good times together and he’s coming to a great club.”

The Roosters have a history of signing or developing cross-codes stars. They include Sonny Bill Williams, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i and, most recently, Nawaqanitawase. Roache said he’s looking forward to learning from the latter.

“Mark’s one of my good mates, we were lucky to play together in those big tournaments,” Roache said.

“He’s made his stamp in the NRL and he’s obviously a good guy to learn off. I’ll be making sure I chat to him a lot before he leaves to union.”

Roache played rugby league while attending Patrician Brothers College Fairfield, resulting in a short stint at the Dragons, before switching to rugby. It gave him the chance to participate in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, which he describes as “lifetime highlights”.

“I was the youngest person in Tokyo, that was a huge blessing. I was just happy to be there, a bit starstruck,” said Roache, who was 19 at the time.

“I was also able to play in the Paris Olympics and be one of the core members there, it was an unreal experience. It didn’t go the way we wanted, we fell just short of a medal, but I can definitely say it was the best week of my life.”

Roache has previously clocked a personal best of 4.59 seconds over 40 metres, a time matched by former national sprint champion Trae Williams. The western Sydney product was recently timed at “10 metres per second”, adding even more speed to an already potent Roosters backline.

“I’m not too sure how it compares against some of the speedsters in the NRL, but I’ll definitely be backing myself if I get into open space,” he said.

Roache has fielded interest from NRL clubs in the past, including Parramatta, Canterbury and South Sydney. However, when the Roosters recently offered a development contract, the timing felt right. While he can play multiple backline positions, his best spot in league is likely to be at left centre.

A hairline fracture in his leg will delay his first appearance for the Roosters, but he’s hopeful of making his NRL debut before the season concludes.

“That would mean a lot, it’s definitely a goal of mine for the second part of this year,” he said. “The opportunity to play NRL will definitely be a dream … I’ve been blessed with a few good opportunities, so I may as well keep riding the wave.”

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