CANBERRA winger Jordan Rapana has no desire to give up Sunday football despite his Mormon faith, stressing: “I’ve already done my share of weekends off”.

Given his outstanding form with the Raiders this season, it is now easy to forget Rapana was almost lost from rugby league after spending two years undertaking his Mormon mission in England and Wales.

Playing five games for Gold Coast in 2008, the then teenage rookie had no idea he would have to wait another six years — traversing both Super Rugby and bush football clubs in the process — before playing his sixth.

Earlier this year, Canterbury fullback Will Hopoate made headlines after signing his now infamous ‘Sabbath Free’ contract.

Following the deal, fellow Mormon footballers including Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Sam Perrett, a childhood friend of Rapana, also spoke openly about trying to secure similar deals.

Yet speaking with The Daily Telegraph this week, 27-year-old Rapana revealed there was no way he would be asking Raiders coach Ricky Stuart to be rested on the day of worship.

“Growing up I didn’t have a choice when it came to playing Sundays,’’ the Raiders winger recalled. “My dad would always say to me ‘no, you don’t play’ and that was it.

“So I’ve already done my fair share of Sundays off. I won’t be asking for any more.”

Quizzed on whether he was still a regular churchgoer, Rapana continued: “I’m actually fairly slack.

“Haven’t been in a while.

“It’s hard now with the lifestyle we have playing in the NRL. Given we’re always playing, training or in recovery on Sundays, you really don’t have much time.

“But every time I go home to the Gold Coast Mum always drags me along to church. It’s something I will go back to after football.”

Dubbed ‘Air Jordan’ in his NRL rookie season, an 18-year-old Rapana bagged five tries in as many games — including a double on debut — while also being named in the NYC Team of the Year.

However, even after returning from his mission, the youngster would spend another four years humping his swag through Super Rugby and bush football before finally finding a home in the Raiders backline.

But as for regrets?

“Doing my mission, that was something I’d wanted to do ever since I was a kid,’’ he said. “So no regrets there at all.

“If I hadn’t gone, I would probably be here now thinking ‘what if I’d done my mission? How would I be different?’.

“Plus, I try not to live with any regrets. I know that I could’ve stayed with the Gold Coast and done my knee. Or had something else happen.

“So who knows? I don’t live on regrets. Every decision I make, I just back myself.”