Major changes to international speedway league regulations have been confirmed for the 2027 season, with a new three-year agreement set to impact riders competing across Britain, Poland, Sweden and Denmark.
Feature Image courtesy of FIM Speedway
The agreement, announced by the Speedway Ekstraliga, will introduce restrictions on the number of national leagues riders can compete in, alongside designated race nights aimed at reducing fixture clashes.
One of the biggest developments concerns British-licensed riders, who will be required to compete in the British league to receive permission from the ACU to race abroad.
The new regulations could have significant implications for riders such as Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley, with both named as examples of competitors who would need British league contracts to continue racing overseas.
The agreement will also introduce changes to the use of Under-21 riders in the top divisions of Britain, Sweden and Denmark.
Full Speedway Ekstraliga Statement
The Speedway Ekstraliga officially announces that a three-year agreement between speedway leagues and federations within the Speedway League Bureau will come into effect from the 2027 season.
The system will cover the PGE Ekstraliga and METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga , as well as the highest speedway leagues in Sweden, Denmark and Great Britain .
A player with a contract in Poland will be able to compete simultaneously in a maximum of two of the three other national leagues covered by the agreement.
For example:
Maciej Janowski: Poland + Sweden + Great Britain ,
Fredrik Lindgren: Poland + Sweden + Denmark .
League days are divided into so-called slots.
Great Britain – league matches will be played on Mondays and Thursdays, Sweden – on Tuesdays, Denmark – on Wednesdays, and Poland (PGEE / M2E) – on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The restrictions do not apply to the French, German, and Czech leagues, among others . Players will be able to compete in them additionally, but in the event of a schedule conflict, slot-based competitions will take precedence.
From 2027, the rules for youth players in the top leagues in Sweden, Denmark, and the UK will also change. A team must include at least one domestic U21 player , while the other can be either domestic or international.
Additionally, the British ACU federation will only grant its athletes permission to compete abroad if they are also competing in the British league.
This means that, for example, Robert Lambert or Daniel Bewley , competing on a British license, will also need to have a contract in the UK in order to race in Poland and other foreign leagues.
What Does This Mean for British Speedway?
The new agreement represents a significant development for British speedway, particularly when it comes to attracting and retaining leading British riders.
Under the regulations, British-licensed riders wishing to compete overseas will also need to race domestically, which could see 2026 World Champion Robert Lambert returning to race race in the Premiership
The reinforcement of designated race nights should also help reduce scheduling conflicts between the major European leagues, although riders competing in Poland will be limited to contracts in just two of the other three participating countries.
The changes to Under-21 rider regulations could also have an impact on team building, with clubs required to include at least one domestic U21 rider while having greater flexibility over the nationality of a second youth rider.
With the agreement due to come into force in 2027, clubs and riders will now have time to assess how the new regulations will affect their plans for the coming seasons.
Could these changes bring the likes of Robert Lambert back to British league speedway on a regular basis? And will the new rules be good for the sport?
