LEICESTER No.1 Ryan Douglas is the first rider to be confirmed for the club’s 2027 Premiership line-up.
The hugely popular Australian will be going into his fourth successive season with the Watling JCB Lions in the top flight having previously represented the club at Championship level.
Douglas faced a new challenge this year with his elevation to the No.1 position, and he responded to that challenge in sensational style by adding a point to his average.
He completed the season on a 9.08 figure which was bettered only by Belle Vue’s Brady Kurtz on 9.22, and he achieved an outstanding level of dominance around the Hydroscand Arena.
Douglas averaged 10.64 from his home league matches in 2026, scoring 125 points from a possible 141, and his ride from the back to beat Kurtz in the thrilling 46-44 win over the Aces in July was one of the big highlights of the year.
Having also helped Australia to World Cup gold in Warsaw and enjoyed a strong campaign in Poland, it was a year to remember all round, and the Lions are delighted to have him on board once more for 2027.
Douglas said: “Last season was a good one for me personally and I was pleased with how things went.
“I managed to put my average up, but there’s always room to improve and I want to keep that going next year.
“We had some good moments as a team last season, especially winning the KO Cup, and hopefully we can go one better in the league this time around.
“I’ve got a great relationship with Paul (Cairns), Stewart (Dickson) and Jen (Crossland), so I’m looking forward to getting back over and getting started again.”
The Lions expect to make more announcements over the coming days, with Rising Stars set to be announced across the league on Friday.
