Jack Walsh has signed off from the Ospreys and the BKT URC by winning the league’s Playmaker Award.
After four years with the Welsh region, he is leaving to join French club Montauban. Departing with the Playmaker Award illustrates just what a game-breaking impact the USA-born, Aussie-raised utility back has had since arriving from Exeter in 2022.
The prize recognises creativity, with three key metrics used to decide the winner - try assists, defenders beaten and successfully completed offloads.
Ospreys head coach Mark Jones said: “I didn’t know anything about Jack until I arrived here.
“He was a pretty young player at the time, in his early 20s. His appetite to get better and his thirst to improve as an individual was pretty evident from day one.
“He’s been a consummate professional. His preparation is top drawer, while his work ethic, both on and off the field, to make sure he was maximising his time has also been evident. That’s why we’ve seen the improvement in his all round game, both as a 15 and as a 10.
“He’s tough, if you look at how durable he is, and he’s very skilful. He's made big progress.
“We are obviously disappointed that we can’t keep him in the building, but I fully understand his reasons why. He’s got a great opportunity to move overseas to a great climate with a team that’s recruiting pretty heavily.
“He’s an Australian and they like to travel and see the world. I wish him all the best and I am sure he will do a great job for Montauban.”
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