Ruche Moodley Ruche Moodley will be the first South African rider of colour to compete in the Moto3 championship. Picture: BOE Motorsports
Image: BOE Motorsports
South African rider Ruche Moodley is taking a giant step towards achieving his ultimate goal of competing in MotoGP.
The Gqeberha-born teenager is set to compete in the 2025 Moto3 championship, becoming the first South African of colour to do so.
“I’m super excited to start this new journey. It’s a dream come true to be racing in the Moto3 World Championship. It’s a great opportunity and I need to work hard to make the most out of it,” said Moodley of his recent promotion.
His ambition in motorcycle racing has been clear since day one: “I want to be MotoGP World Champion,” said the youngster even before stepping onto the world stage.
Ruche, son of former SA superbike champion, Arushen Moodley, has cut his international racing teeth in the hotly contested Red Bull Rookies Cup in recent years. He was a regular top-ten contender and claimed his maiden podium finish at Le Mans in France in this breeding ground of two-wheel talent. Of the previous rookies, many have gone on to win two-wheel world titles.
However, Moodley now faces an even bigger challenge as he steps onto the world stage as a member of the BOE Motorsports squad. In doing so, he will be the first South African rider of colour to compete in this world championship series.
Moodley will be aiming to add his name to the list of South African Moto3 winners. Picture: BOE Motorsport Moodley will be aiming to add his name to the list of South African Moto3 winners. Picture: BOE Motorsport
Image: BOE Motorsport
He will compete alongside Kiwi Cormac Buchanan. The pair will race KTMs in this tough category, where no quarter is asked, and none is given. BOE Motorsports has previously nurtured the talents of Joel Kelso, David Muñoz and Ana Carrasco, the first female to compete in the world championship series.
"In the team we have already worked with young riders before and Ruche is the new project we have for 2025. It's going to be a year of hard work with the hope that results will come, sooner rather than later. Ruche has a lot of potential and after the first day of testing in Portimao I believe that we can achieve good results this season," said BOE Motorsports team owner, Jose Angel Gutierrez Boe.
Brad Binder, one of Moodley’s mentors, was 2016 Moto3 world champion. Binder remains the only South African to claim the title in this series. Moodley will be aiming to add his name to the list of South African Moto3 winners.
“My ambition is to learn as quickly as possible. I want to be fighting at the front to show what I’m capable of. South African fans will be entertained in each category on race days with Brad Binder in MotoGP, his brother Darryn in Moto2 and me in Moto3. I’m proud to be representing my country in one of the most competitive categories in the world,” concluded the youngster.
The 2025 Moto3 season features 22 grand prix races across 18 countries on five continents. The opening round of the 2025 championship takes place in Thailand on 2 March and concludes on 16 November in Valencia, Spain.
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