POOLE Pirates will host their annual press and practice day just 48 hours before getting their campaign underway.

Pirates begin the season with a home fixture against Oxford Cheetahs on Good Friday, March 29.

On Wednesday, March 27, fans and media will be invited along to Wimborne Road to meet and greet Poole Pirates’ class of 2024.

Sponsors and season ticket holders will be permitted entry from 3pm, where formal introductions will take place, ahead of a scheduled practice session on track at around 4pm.

Prior to that, the first meeting at Wimborne Road for 2024 has been brought forward.

Kyle Newman’s testimonial was due to take place on March 20, but has now been rearranged for Wednesday, March 13 (7.30pm), to avoid a clash with the SGB Premiership launch date.

Pirates promoter Danny Ford explained: “The Premiership will be staging their launch date at Belle Vue on the 20th, the original date we had offered to Kyle, and so to maximise the availability of riders for Kyle to choose from we have acted swiftly and brought his big meeting forward by seven days and that will signify the start of the 2024 British Speedway season."