Club Pairs champions Rugby are into their fourth final of the season after coming through their KO Cup last four tie against Chalvington with a final heat 5-1. A five point aggregate victory over the Chiefs—who they’ve now eliminated on each of the three times they met in the competition—for David Grainger’s side, a tight affair concluding in their favour with that Zygmunt Jablonski (14)/Valier Elin (10+1) maximum. Trailing by just two from the first leg, this weeks hosts Rugby went into the return as big favourites to progress to only their second final in their 28 year history. They began bright enough, with the scoring of reserve Marcel Miller (10+1) key in taking the home side seven points up in the first half of the meeting, the 21 year old German winning heat two and eight 5-1’s. The Chiefs rallied, scoring three 4-2’s in the next five to leave the tie on a knife edge heading into the final two heats, Miller returned to pick up a crucial two points in the penultimate race, before that 5-1 in the last sent Rugby through. Through to face Bridgwater, a side they have already eliminated to reach the final of the Division One Cup this season. The Baboons relationship with the KO Cup has become something of a ‘love-hate’ one, they are now into their fourth final despite having spent less than a decade as a professional club. Frustratingly though for them they are yet to win one of those finals, but the signs are that could be about to change. A second leg draw at holders Newport Pagnell eased them through to this years decider by 19 on aggregate, the Knights had eliminated them at the same stage of the competition last season, and also beat them in both the SL24 and 25 finals.

Bridgwater have gone top of division one for the first time since the opening week of the season after winning their 12th bonus point from 12 of the campaign. A last heat 4-2 saw them gain a point in the 49-41 defeat at Cambridge by two on aggregate, as Whitemoor slipped to their third extra point loss of the SL28 league season at Newport Pagnell (51-39). The two sides go into their top of the table clash at Bridgwater next week separated by just points difference in the standings. Rugby have closed in on the pair in third, although despite recording a fifth away win of the campaign on their trip to Wordsley they are still five points off the pace with now only six meetings of the season remaining. A 44-46 victory at the Wizards was completed by a last heat Valeri Elin (13)/Zygmunt Jablonski (12+2) 5-1. But for that Wordsley would have moved off the bottom of the table for the first time in six months, with ninth placed Nottingham also going down to a two point home defeat, that inflicted by Oxford.

A second GP win of the campaign has propelled 35 year old series rookie Taavi Raudnagel (11) four points clear at the top of the World Championship standings. The Estonian and Krakow rider recovered from running a heat one last place at Bridgwater to win the British GP crown by a point from world number three Deniz Rask, Raudnagel winning four of his remaining three races and finishing second to Bengt Karim (8) in the other. Karim’s world title defence was hit by another single figure score, the win over Raudnagel one of two in the meeting, which also featured two last place finishes for the Swede, who has struggled for consistency throughout the series.

Dzintars Moroz—who moved from Smethwick to Sedgemoor at the start of the season—has become only the third 17 year old to win a WU21 tie after topping the standings in this weeks final qualifier at Richmond. The Estonian, who finished a point clear of Brit’ Jake Sailsbury, will bid to become the youngest winner of the competition in next months final.

Second tier leaders Smethwick have one hand of the Division Two Cup after winning the first leg of this years final at Glasshoughton. A 42-47 victory for the Meerkats was secured by a last heat 5-1 from Mike Conlon (14) and Kristof Muller (12+1). Smethwick are now unbeaten in seven in all competitions, with an away draw for themselves and a dropped home point for closest rivals Claygate boosting their hopes in the division two title race too. The Meerkats—who held Bolsover on their travels thanks to another Conlon/Muller last heat 5-1—are nine points clear of Claygate, whose meeting with Glasshoughton finished all-square after they conceded a 5-1 in heat 15 to Michael Langhorne (15) and Adam Schofield (12+2). Smethwick went on to beat Claygate 47-43 in the top of the table clash later in the week, the result though did see the Riders become the first side to take the bonus off the Meerkats this season, the aggregate point vital as it keeps David Farr’s side a point above fourth placed Netherton in the promotion race.