POOLE have taken the decision to withdraw from the Premiership Knockout Cup.
The Pirates had been invited to take part in the top-flight competition at the promoters’ annual conference and had been included in the quarter-final draw, being paired with Sheffield. But the Dorset club have now stepped back after revealing “several logistical and financial challenges have made it unviable at this time”. In a statement, the Poole management said: “A key consideration was the significant cost of bringing top riders to the UK for a standalone competition. Additionally, competing in the Premiership KO Cup would require us to start our fixtures much earlier than planned, which isn’t ideal for our overall schedule. “We have also reached out to potential new sponsors and 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 2025.”