Speedway: Teenage prospect William Cairns set for Premiership debut for Sheffield against Birmingham

The teenager, who has only just celebrated his 16th birthday, will appear in Tru7Group Tigers colours for their club’s Rowe Motor Oil Premiership clash with Birmingham at Owlerton, in place of Tigers’ injured rising star Leon Flint.

British Youth Champion Cairns, who has ridden for Belle Vue’s juniors this season in the National Development League, made his debut in the NDL last year for the Tigers joint junior side run alongside Scunthorpe, away at Oxford in a one off appearance.

He has scored large points for Belle Vue Colts at Owlerton this season and last season.

Sheffield go into Thursday’s meeting with Birmingham looking to keep their 100 per cent home record in the league going

The Tru7 Group Tigers slipped to their first defeat of 2025 at Owlerton last week as they exited the Premiership Knockout Cup with Leicester coming out on top in the latest Steel City last heat decider.

But with attentions now solely on the Premiership, Simon Stead’s side know that victory against bottom club Birmingham would see them add two more points towards the top of the standings.

Captain Josh Pickering said: “As a group, we’re going to be looking to build from here on in now, make sure we all take something away from each meeting, add it all up piece by piece and when those bigger meetings come along in a couple of months time, I’m sure we’ll be in a much better position and we’ll go into those play-offs and give it everything to make us the champions again.

“I do know we’ve still got a bit of work to do before that though to cement our position in the top four - and that all starts against Birmingham.”

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Birmingham, who after being beaten 62-28 at Oxford last Thursday bounced back with a 49-41 home win over play-off chasing King’s Lynn on Monday, include two former Sheffield riders in Tobiasz Musielak and Paco Castagna.

When the two sides met on opening night in April, Sheffield equalled their biggest ever win in the Premiership (61-29).

Sheffield: Jack Holder, Anders Rowe, Josh Pickering, Lewi Kerr, Chris Holder, Justin Sedgmen, William Cairns.

Birmingham: Tobiasz Musielak, Keynan Rew R/R, Jonas Jeppesen, Paco Castagna, Matej Zagar, Ben Barker, Sam Hagon.