Ospreys lose battle to keep hold of France-bound Jack Walsh

Highly-rated Ospreys utility back, Jack Walsh, will be playing his club rugby in France next season after signing with Top 14 basement outfit Montauban.

The Aussie-raised, USA-born full-back/fly-half has spent the past four seasons at Ospreys after joining from Exeter in 2022 and has scored 233 points in 76 appearances.

Ospreys wanted to keep him but Montauban came up with an offer he couldn’t resist despite their impending relegation to ProD2.

“Walshy is a model professional and a great character so he will certainly be missed by everyone at the Ospreys,” said head coach Mark Jones.

“As a club, we did our best to keep him but he received an offer to test himself in different waters and we understand his motivations to pursue that opportunity.”

“Whilst Walshy will be a loss for us, we have already added some quality in Tom Rogers and it will also present more opportunity for our younger 15s coming through that we have high hopes for in an Ospreys jersey.”

Speaking on his move, Walsh said: “This club means a lot to me, so this was an extremely tough decision for me to make.

“I am incredibly grateful for the time I’ve spent at the Ospreys, I’ve grown a lot as a player and a person since I joined the team, and I want to take this moment to thank everyone who has played a part in that.

“I have made lifelong friends, and the Osprey supporters have been amazing throughout my time at the region. I’ve loved my time in Wales, especially the people within it. I’d also like to thank Mark, the coaches and all the staff, it’s an amazing place to come to work every day.

“While it’s a bittersweet moment for me, I’m excited to embrace this opportunity and to test myself in a new environment. Until then, I’ll be giving my all on the pitch until the end of the season.”