The Canberra Raiders' under 20s player of the year Mikaele Ravalawa has capped off a meteoric rise by being named in Fiji's World Cup squad.
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The former Fijian under 18s rugby sevens star made the switch to rugby league to join the Raiders this year and will soon play on the international game's biggest stage.
The little known outside back could find himself lacing up the boots alongside household names like Jarryd Hayne, Fijian skipper Kevin Naiqama, Akuila Uate, and Ashton and Korbin Sims.
Ravalawa was poached from a Fijian village and excelled in the National Youth Competition for the Raiders this year, scoring 12 tries in 22 games.
"I was just running around the village before I went to participate in a sevens rugby tournament in Samoa where I was scouted by the Canberra Raiders selectors," Ravalawa told Fiji Sun.
The 19-year-old is currently in Fiji for the "Battle of the Bati", which pits overseas players against a Fijian residents side.
Ravalawa joins New Zealand's Jordan Rapana and Joseph Tapine, Papua New Guineans Kurt Baptiste and Kato Ottio, and Samoan trio Joey Leilua, Junior Paulo, and Josh Papalii as Canberra's World Cup representatives.
Josh Hodgson and Elliott Whitehead are near certain starters for England, however that squad is yet to be confirmed.
