PIRATES skipper Steve Worrall has pre-emptively announced his shock departure from Wimborne Road next season.

Poole’s number five will not ride with Pirates for the 2024 season, Worrall telling ensembled fans that new team building rules meant that he will ply his trade elsewhere next term.

Worrall took the opportunity to inform and thank supporters at the post-meeting conference following Pirates’ aggregate loss to Scunthorpe Scorpions in the Knockout Cup final.

He shared: “Honestly, team building. It happens. It starts happening already and points limits change.

“Sadly, it means someone has to go and I’m having to move on to somewhere else.

“I think it’s only right to say thank you to everyone here. Three years – I think we just get used to winning trophies.

“Up until joining Poole, I only won the league once with Edinburgh back in 2014. You come to a club like this and you feel it automatically happens year in, year out.

“It was the same this year. We expect to win and make the finals. You finish top of the league and you just expect to.

“It’s been fantastic. Probably the best three seasons of my career so far and one of the best clubs I have ever raced for.

“Sadly, I’ll move on to new things but thank you to every single person who has been here supporting us.”