The highly-rated teenager has already made a strong impression on the sport, earning attention not only for the distinctive tassels on his race suit but, more importantly, for his obvious ability on the bike.

Rushen, who turns 16 on March 29, will come into the Pirates’ side at reserve, teaming up with Will Cairns, who stepped up to Championship level with Poole last season.

Promoter Dan Ford expressed his delight at landing the youngster, telling the Poole Speedway website: “We were intent on bringing Cooper to Poole and, like most of the speedway world, we’ve been monitoring his progress over the past few years. He’s a stylish, charismatic young British rider and I’m delighted he’ll be a Pirate for 2026.

“There is no doubt he has an incredible future ahead of him and we are delighted to have, arguably, the best two teenage British riders turning out for us this coming season.”

Rushen’s arrival completes Poole’s team build for 2026, with the Pirates coming in comfortably inside the 40-point limit, just 0.28 points below the maximum.

Poole Pirates 2026 averages:

Richard Lawson (9.58)

Zach Cook (captain) (7.34)

Lewi Kerr (6.77)

Fraser Bowes (5.63)

Dan Gilkes (4.59)

Will Cairns (3.81)

Cooper Rushen (2.00)

Feature Image courtesy of British Speedway

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The 26-year-old Cowra-born racer, who ended Poole’s memorable double-winning 2025 campaign with a 7.34 average, admitted that a return to the Championship had not originally been part of his plans. Speaking on the official Poole Speedway website, Cook explained:

“I am really happy to be back with Pirates for 2026. To be honest, I wasn’t originally planning on racing in the Championship next season. With other commitments I thought it might spread me a bit too thin.”

However, discussions with the club’s promotion proved decisive, with Cook revealing that the desire shown by management, combined with his connection to the club, ultimately swayed his decision. He added on the Poole Speedway website:

“But Matt and Dan were so keen to get me signed and the more we talked, the more it felt right. I love this club; I love the supporters and I still feel there’s some unfinished business here. I want to be part of helping Poole chase more success.”

Pirates promoter Dan Ford admitted that retaining Cook was a major priority once it became clear he was considering stepping away from the Championship. Ford told the Poole Speedway website:

“When Zach first told us of his plans not to do the Championship next season, we knew we would have to work on him as we were absolutely determined to get him back on board.”

Ford was full of praise for his skipper’s influence both on and off the track, adding:

“He is a fantastic captain, a brilliant team rider, leads by example and is very much someone who always delivers when the big meetings come around. Quite simply he is impossible to replace.”

The promoter also expressed his delight at seeing Cook continue to lead a strong-looking Pirates line-up into 2026, saying on the Poole Speedway website:

“We are absolutely delighted to have him back and leading the Pirates again in 2026, linking up with Richard (Lawson), Lewi and Will again.”

He concluded by noting that the club is pleased with its recruitment progress so far, with further continuity already secured:

“Along with Fraser (Bowes) and Dan (Gikes) we are happy with how our team plans have gone so far.”

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At just 23, Gilkes arrives at Wimborne Road with an already impressive résumé. Since beginning his professional career with the Kent Kings in 2019, he has built a reputation as a determined and exciting competitor. His progression has included helping Sheffield lift the Premiership title in 2023, followed by the Knockout Cup in 2024 — achievements that further underlined his status as a rising force in British speedway.

Gilkes’ recent seasons have not been without setbacks. A serious knee injury, sustained in a crash while riding for Oxford at Wimborne Road on May 7th, brought his 2025 campaign to a premature end. Despite this, he has earned widespread respect for the resilience and professionalism he has shown during recovery.

According to the Poole Speedway website, Gilkes acknowledged the difficulties but shared optimism in a video message announcing his move, joking: “Why is a Pirate called a Pirate… ’cos they aaarrgggh!” before adding, “I am really happy to be announced as a shipmate for the 2026 season… thankfully the recovery is going well.”

The Pirates, who head into 2026 defending both league and cup honours, see Gilkes as a key piece in their continued push for success. Promoter Dan Ford, speaking to the Poole Speedway website, welcomed the signing enthusiastically, saying: “Dan has been a target of ours for quite some time… with an injury-free season under his belt we firmly believe he can now push on and reach his full potential. We’re excited to see what he can bring to the team in 2026.”

Gilkes’ arrival adds fresh energy to a Poole side already riding high on recent triumphs. With his recovery on track and his determination as strong as ever, the 23-year-old looks poised to make a major impact when the tapes rise next season.

Images courtesy of British Speedway

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Speaking to the Poole Pirates website, Kerr said: “I’m pleased to be back at Poole for 2026. I loved every minute with the club last season and finally achieved my main goal of winning the league — something I had never done before. I’ve got a lot more to offer, so I’m excited for what’s ahead.”

Promoter Dan Ford also told the club website he expects Kerr to continue making a major impact: “Lewi’s a rider we firmly believe has plenty left in the tank. He returns on a low average, but we all saw what he’s capable of — especially at the end of last season when he delivered some outstanding performances. If he can maintain that level consistently, he’ll make a mockery of his average in 2026.”

Kerr was a model of reliability throughout 2025, appearing in every meeting and racking up more than 440 race points plus 29 bonus points, with 101 unbeaten rides from 239 starts. He’ll start 2026 on a 6.77 average and becomes the latest confirmed rider alongside Richard Lawson, Will Cairns, and Fraser Bowes.

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Bowes, who turns 24 soon, made his British racing debut with Workington last year and heads into the new season aiming to build on the 5.63 average he ended 2025 with.

Pirates fans already caught a glimpse of what he can offer when he stormed to 13 points from six rides at Wimborne Road in July — despite suffering a retirement in his third outing.

Speaking from Australia to the Poole Pirates website, Bowes said he was thrilled to become a Pirate:
“I would like to thank Matt and Danny Ford, Middlo (Neil Middleditch) and Havvy (Gary Havelock) for making this happen. I really enjoyed my visits to Wimborne Road and, with it being a technical track, I’m really looking forward to riding there every week next season.”

Promoter Dan Ford believes Bowes’ arrival will pay dividends for both rider and club, saying on the clubs website:
“Fraser is another exciting Aussie to join the Pirates, and he immediately showed he liked the look of Wimborne Road when he visited last season. With a year of Championship racing behind him, and experience of almost every track under his belt, we believe that once he gets properly dialled into our place we can really unlock his potential.”

Bowes joins Number 1 Richard Lawson and 16-year-old Will Cairns in the Pirates 2026 squad.

Feature Image courtesy of British Speedway

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Thomsen, who has collected five major trophies with the Pirates—including this year’s league and Cup double—will be unable to commit due to his Danish League duties with Brovst, which rule him out of several Wednesday fixtures. As a result, he will compete elsewhere in the UK next season.

He explained: “I have now signed a UK contract, but unfortunately it isn’t with Poole. It’s not that I don’t want to be a Pirate again—I really do—but it just isn’t possible.

“I want to give 100 per cent to my teams, and missing so many meetings wouldn’t be fair. We’ve seen riders try to juggle this before, and it simply doesn’t work.

“I want to thank everyone at Poole for their support over the past two seasons. My greatest speedway moment so far was the 2024 Grand Final against Oxford—I’ll never forget it.”

Meanwhile, Poole have confirmed that 16-year-old Will Cairns will return in 2026 after an impressive debut campaign in the Cab Direct Championship. He joins No.1 Richard Lawson as the club’s first confirmed signings for next season.

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Lawson has enjoyed four trophy-laden years with the Pirates including three league titles, three KO Cup successes and two BSN Series trophies.

The 39-year-old, described by co-promoter Dan Ford as a “phenomenon” and a “class act,” is already up to 15th place in the club’s all-time scorers list.

He will begin the 2026 season on an average of 9.58.

Words and Feature Image by British Speedway

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Team News

Poole Pirates: Richard Lawson returns to the side following Sunday’s play-off victory over Redcar, with the rest of the team unchanged. The Pirates are chasing the first of three finals on their bid for a second-tier treble.

Redcar Bears: Jake Allen will feature in the in-form side, while Glasgow’s Freddy Hodder replaces Jody Scott, who remains sidelined due to concussion protocol.

Form & Focus

Redcar boss Gavin Parr admitted to Redcar-Speedway.com disappointment after Sunday’s play-off exit but is determined to refocus on the KO Cup:

“We had Monday to think about what happened on Sunday but we now have to switch back on to the job in hand. The KO Cup is now the focus so we need to dust ourselves down and bounce back against Poole tonight.”

Parr acknowledged Poole’s superiority in the previous meeting:

“Poole were the better team, it’s as simple as that. They had their gating gloves on and they were getting to the first bends before us more often than not which was vital on Sunday.”

The Bears manager remains optimistic about the season’s potential:

“Don’t forget, we have already won the pairs so if we can get the KO Cup and/or the BSN Series, it would be our best ever season.”

For Poole, co-promoter Dan Ford on the Poole Speedway website warned against complacency:

“Obviously our performance on Sunday was impressive but we ‘poked the Bear’ and now we face the consequences. They remain a formidable set of opponents and we know that everything is rolled back to zero and we have to go again… the aim will be to achieve that and put ourselves in a strong position to retain the KO Cup.”

The Pirates will aim to assert early dominance with a full-strength line-up and strong home support, while the Bears will look to keep the scores close or claim an upset to set up an exciting second leg at the ECCO Arena on Friday.

Fans unable to attend can watch the meeting live via BSN Live >> https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk

Full Line-ups

Poole Pirates

1. Richard Lawson 9.83

2. ⁠Tobias Thomsen 4.81

3. Lewis Kerr 6.94

4. Zach Cook (C) 7.34

5. Anders Rowe 7.57

6. Paul Starke 4.13

7. William Cairns 3.91

™: Neil Middleditch

Redcar “Agilia” Bears

1 Charles Wright (C) 9.11

2 Jake Mulford 4.37

3 Jason Edwards 6.60

4 Jake Allen 7.12 (G)

5 Danny King – 8.81

6 Freddy Hodder (G) 3.92

7 Ace Pijper 4.14

™: Gavin Parr

Feature Image courtesy of British Speedway

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Hot prospect Cairns will be eligible to race in the Cab Direct Championship from his birthday on June 29, with the Pirates stating they will make a temporary signing at No.7 to cover the opening three months of the forthcoming campaign.

Promoter Dan Ford said: “William Cairns is undoubtedly one of the hottest prospects in British Speedway, and we are thrilled to have secured his commitment to the Pirates for the next 18 months.

“With multiple clubs vying for his signature, it speaks volumes that William has chosen Poole as the place where he feels he can best develop and improve in this crucial stage of his career.

“Unfortunately, he won’t qualify for a league racing licence until he turns 16 on June 29, so we’ll begin the season without him.

“But we know he’s eagerly counting down the days, and when that moment comes, our supporters will undoubtedly give him the warmest of welcomes at Wimborne Road. We’re proud to be a part of William’s journey and can’t wait to see what he can achieve with the Pirates.”

Words and Feature Image by British Speedway

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The experienced Starke previously appeared for the Pirates in the top-flight, mainly in 2015 and 2017, but he also made three guest appearances in their colours last season.

He began the 2024 campaign with Glasgow before losing his place at Ashfield, and he then helped Workington to clinch a play-off place when he moved to the GT Tyres Arena.

Poole promoter Dan Ford said: “Starkey has had a tough couple of seasons, but one thing we know for sure is that he’s never let the Pirates down.

“He stepped in as a guest for us a few times last season and delivered solid performances, and he showed his quality again with two excellent displays for Workington at Wimborne Road, top scoring with 7+1 and 10+2!

“We were keen to get a deal done early with Paul because, on a 3.36 average, there is huge potential for improvement. We fully expect him to be pushing for a position in the main body of the team.”

Words and Image by British Speedway

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