Rugby’s bid for a second League Championship title is in tatters after they suffered their biggest home defeat in over 12 years. A 39-51 loss to Sedgemoor opened the second half a campaign that had promised so much for the Gravediggers, one defeat in their first seven fixtures seeing them set the early pace in the league, a run which included a week one 26 point victory over the Rebels. Nick Howard’s side certainly turned the tables on their second visit of SL29 to the Fugiendo Vincimus, although with over half the visiting team changed since the first fixture, this was always going to be a different challenge for the hosts. Howard has spent big in attempting to halt his club’s seemingly certain slide into division two, £1million alone on 19 year old Vitas Kolesnichenko (11+1), who was just four meetings into his Rebels league career on his visit to Rugby. A visit which would begin with a defeat to Zygmunt Zablonski (15) in heat four, but would feature a heat six victory in a 4-2 which earned the Rebels the lead in the contest. It’s an advantage that had grown to a match winning one as early as heat 13, with Dmitry Selezov (13) doing much of the damage, the 35 year old winning in 4-2’s in heats seven and 12 and in a stunning 5-1 in-between, when he and George Bull (6+1) beat tactical substitute Jablonski in heat ten to take their side 12 up at the time. It was a setback Rugby couldn’t recover from, their going on to suffer their first home league defeat in a year, one which sees them slip to third in the standings and end the week six points off the pace. Sedgemoor went on to beat leaders Whitemoor 47-42 at home, they remain in the drop zone, but now just two points adrift of safety.

Odell Espeseth (7) will not get the chance to defend his world title in this years Grand Prix series after he failed to make the cut in the final qualifying round. Espeseth had been on course for a top eight spot in the tie at Krakow, however last place finishes in heats 14 and 20 would see the 27 year old miss out by a point. Rugby’s Zygmunt Jablonski (12) won the tie after defeating world number six and three-time world champion Bengt Karim in a race off, it was a first career WSO victory for 25 year old Jablonski, who also qualifies for the GP’s for the first time, Karim—12 years his senior—is back in the series for a seventh season. SL16, 18, 19 and 23 World Champion Andy James (8) returns to the series for the first time in three years after finishing fifth, a record breaking 12th appearance for the 33 year old, who will be the only Brit in this years field. No spot in the 16 though for world number four Mike Conlon (7), who joined Espeseth on the sidelines, while another of last years GP stars—Denis Rask (7)—exited from the second of this weeks ties at Rugby, that meeting was won by Whitemoor’s Bernd Hoover (11).

Home defeat number ten of the season for Netherton came with the league visit of Chalvington to Dudley Wood. Per Dalberg (15) and Jason Danoff (14+1) both unbeaten for the Chiefs as they completed a 49-41 success with a 5-1 in the final race. Chalvington have won their last four in the league and are up to fourth, six points off pacesetters Whitemoor, who they visit next. Elsewhere in the top flight second placed Newport Pagnell extended their unbeaten league run to five with a draw at Bridgwater.

Nottingham made sure of their spot in the Division Two Cup semi-finals with a double bonus point gaining victory over Wilmington. The Red Stars—who won the competition when last at this level two years ago—smashing their visitors 56-34 as their top five raced to a combined nine heat wins and 11 second places in the one-sided contest. Nottingham take on Group B winners Coalville in the last four, the other semi-final pits Group A winners Oxford with Glasshoughton.

Newington rounded off a successful debut in the group stage of the Division Three Cup with a 52-38 victory over Kesgrave. Their fourth straight qualifying win setting them up for a last four tie with Halesowen, who reached that stage of the competition for a third straight season with a 52-38 win over Loughton. Wimbledon topped that section from the Spitfires on points difference however thanks to a 62-28 victory over Dartford, the Wanderers take on SL5 and 22 winners Plymouth in the last four.

Both British sides left in the European Cup have work to do if they are to reach this years final. Most notable Bridgwater, who suffered a 44-46 home defeat to Krakow in the first leg of their semi-final, the Poles taking the victory despite their hosts riding to ten heat wins in the meeting! All five of Krakow’s successes ended in heat advantages, 22 year old former Smethwick rider Vojtech Brodsky (8) was involved in four of the five. Whitemoor won the opening leg of the second semi-final 48-42 against Prague.