Indestructible Ruchè Moodley will return to Moto3 next season

What exactly separates elite level athletes from the rest of the field who have the same level of talent and skill? 

The word grit comes to mind when recounting the season that South African teenager Ruchè Moodley endured, overcoming two serious crashes only to get back on his bike and keep the show going.  

In his maiden season in the FIM Moto3 championship, Moodley placed 27th out of 40 riders with 14 points to his name. At the start of the season, Moodley accepted the monumental task ahead of him, going up against riders who grew up in Europe compared to his racing time in South Africa, which is drastically different in terms of exposure and facilities. 

He and his family carted their lives to Europe, and now live in Spain, where Moodley's career aboard two wheels is paramount to their family. Besides moving to a new continent, Moodley had to acquaint himself to the new life of a professional athlete, which includes constant conditioning and training, revising race and motorcycle data as well as a lot of travel in-between. 

However, his career abroad got off to great start, delivering a brilliant maiden race, just missing out on a top ten finish, but scoring a handful of points on debut. The youngster followed that with another point-scoring finish in Argentina, followed by another positive ride in Austin, Texas.

The three early rounds were on tracks Moodley had never seen in person before arriving on race weekend, showing just how much potential the young Saffa has on two wheels. 

“It was great to get those first few races under my belt, to work off the early season nerves. And toscore points at circuits that were completely unfamiliar to me was even better.”

His two crashes came during the European leg of the season, where he came off the bike in Jerez, Spain and then again in Mugello, but this time, sustaining far more serious injuries. Moodley fractured his arm in multiple places after coming off the bike in the opening lap and then was struck by riders behind him. 

This left an eager young teenager in the one place he didn't want to be: bed. 

“The mid-season injury was a real downer. I received great medical treatment, which really helps, but the recovery process can’t be rushed. So, it was really frustrating to watch racing from the sidelines, and miss vital testing, especially taking place on tracks that I am familiar with, where I felt confident, I would perform well," Moodley said. 

The young rider, who bones are likely to still be green given how quickly he recovered, got back on the bike and delivered brave performances in Hungary, Catalonia and San Marino to finish off Europe before heading to Asia. 

Spanish racing outfit BOE Motorsport renewed Moodley's career and will give him the opportunity to ride next season in Moto3. 

“I will use all the experience and knowledge that I gained in my rookie year to start 2026 as strong as possible. I feel far more confident heading into my second season than I did heading into my rookie year. I now know the tracks, the bike and what to expect,” said Moodley.