After two seasons at Brive, Ross Moriarty returned to Wales this summer, returning to his youth club, the Ospreys. A symbolic return for the 31-year-old flanker, a Six Nations champion, World Cup semi-finalist, and former British Lion, who claims to have "rediscovered his love of rugby" during his time in France.
Brive, the turning point of a career
When Moriarty joined Brive, then in the French second division, many saw it as a sign of his impending decline. Unselected for Wales due to his move abroad, the powerful flanker seemed to be drifting away from the top level. But those two years in Corrèze marked a turning point.
“I always wanted to play in France, and I wasn’t disappointed. Rugby is a true religion there. People live for this sport, and it gave me back my love for the game,” he confides. The atmosphere at the Stadium, the fervor of the crowd – “10,000 supporters on average, up to 15,000 during big matches” – and the closeness with the fans have, according to him, rekindled a passion that had faded.
A return to the roots in Swansea
By signing for the Ospreys, Moriarty has come full circle. The son of Paul Moriarty, a former Swansea legend, he is returning to the region where he grew up and where he first started playing rugby before moving to Gloucester. “It’s quite funny to be back where it all started. My family is here, my wife too. It makes sense and it feels good,” he says.
A starter in the first three matches of the United Rugby Championship season, Moriarty has rediscovered his aggression and influence in the game. While he insists that the Welsh selection is "not his priority", his name is already on the radar of new coach Steve Tandy, who will announce his squad for the autumn tour in the coming days.
After rediscovering his passion for rugby in France, Ross Moriarty seems ready to write a new chapter, between family roots and renewed ambition.
