AUSSIE PAIR TO FLY THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES

Newly crowned 2017 Elite Shield winners Poole will be putting their trust in Australian youngsters Brady Kurtz and Jack Holder as they fly the skull and crossbones in the inaugural SGB Premiership Pairs at Somerset on Friday (31st March).

The Oak Tree Arena will not hold any surprises for the Poole duo , Kurtz having been a Rebel during the 2014 and 2015 seasons and Holder having visited during his Premier league time with Plymouth.

But with representatives from all 8 clubs of the new SGB Premiership the Volvo Cars Poole Pirates will need to put all that experience to good effect as they face opposition from multi-British champions Scott Nicholls and Chris Harris (Rye House), reigning British number one Danny King and Swede Kim Nilsson (Leicester) and Holder's elder sibling, former Pirate and 2012 World champion Chris Holder and the promising Robert Lambert (King's Lynn), all of whom have been drawn in Group B.

Kurtz and Holder have avoided qualifying heat opposition of the likes of Craig Cook and Australian champion Max Fricke (Belle Vue), Swedes Freddie Lindgren and Jacob Thorssell (Wolverhampton), former Rebels Jason Doyle and Nick Morris (Swindon) and home pairing Patrick Hougaard and Rohan Tungate as those clubs make up Group A.