Ruchè Moodley heads back to Spain after second crash of season
Ruchè's return
Ruche Moodley is the sole South African racer currently competing in the Moto3 world championship. The 18-year-old missed round six of the 2025 schedule as he was recovering from a crash in which he fractured the radius in his right arm.
Image: Supplied / BOE Motorsports
Around six weeks ago, South African Moto3 rider Ruchè Moodley suffered his second crash of the season, only this time it was more gruesome to watch, especially if you're a family member or close associate.
The teenager went down in the opening lap and was hit by riders behind him, suffering a fractured shoulder and hurting his right hand again.
Social media posts from his hospital bed in Barcelona was a way of communicating with the public for a while but then the Red Bull Born Racers on Moodley dropped.
For the first time, the world of Moto3 got an insight into his life and also heard from Moodley and parents about a horrific crash when he was 11. He crashed into a tree at high speed and sustained extensive injuries.
His mother Chanelle and father Arushen were highly emotional when asked to recall the events surrounding that crash.
One can only assume that similar thoughts and feelings went through them this year after watching their son crash out twice with injuries.
The teenager has showed no signs of slowing down though, and two days ago, announced on social media that he was unofficially back in training.
"Enjoying the process, getting ready for the rest of the season. The work doesn’t stop!" Moodley wrote two days ago from his home province in the Eastern cape.
On Thursday, a close family associate, Sudhir Matai, told Independent Sports that the family requested some privacy during his recovery.
"Ruche is travelling back to Spain at the moment. The family does not really want to bring any further attention to it," Matai said.
Travelling back to Spain can only mean he's ready to compete again and with 10 races left in the season, Mooldey will need to pull off another uber quick recovery to make it before the season ends.
Moodley's debut season in Moto3 has been a difficult one, with a lot of adjustments to be made in terms of lifestyle in Alicante, Spain, where he is based.
Injuries at a young age can be advantageous in that they heal quicker, but its the mental aspect of crashes which can often affect young riders even more than the physical side.
The Gqeberha teenager has a lot of experience and support in his corner to help him get over those hurdles, support from people like Brad Binder, who rides in MotoGP and is also from the Eastern Cape.