Bournemouth Speedway team Poole Pirates have announced they will not be participating in the British Speedway Premiership Knockout Cup for the 2025 season.
In a press statement, the team stated that whilst they found the invitation ‘unexpected and exciting’, they turned down the decision to participate in the upcoming tournament, citing ‘several logistical and financial challenges’ making it ‘unviable’.
This withdrawal comes amid the Poole-based team revealing they have been reaching out to potential new sponsors, stating that:
“While there has been some interest in supporting the Pirates for a potential Premiership return, the uptake has not been sufficient to make participation in this competition feasible for 2026.”
Poole Pirates have maintained their focus is on the Cab Direct Championship, MAXiCab Knockout Cup, and the BSN series – to build on the success of their treble-winning 2024 season.
They kicked off their treble campaign with a 40-aggregate win over Scunthorpe in a two-leg final.
This accompanied their victory over Oxford Cheetahs, where they claimed their third Championship title in a row after overturning a 12-point deficit in the playoff final.
The Pirates faced Oxford again in the Knockout Cup, taking a win of 57 points over their opponents’ 33 at the end of the second leg, to clinch the Cup and secure the treble.
So, what does 2025 bring for the Bournemouth team?
Poole are going to be coming across some familiar faces as they are set to kick off their BSN series campaign against Oxford Cheetahs.
Racing action begins on April 16 at Oxford Stadium, with the second leg seeing the Pirates back home at Poole Stadium on the 18th.
The Bournemouth side will be hoping to capitalise on their treble success from last season, as well as focusing on two major northern tours.
Edinburgh and Berwick are the team’s first destinations for mid-May, before they head to Glasgow and Workington in June.
They will begin their Championship campaign on May 7 with a home fixture against Scunthorpe Scorpions.
In terms of the Knockout Cup, their first opponents will be Plymouth on May 24, with the first leg being played away and the second at home.
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