Match Preview: Academy aim to tame Tigers

NEWS Thursday 21st May 2026, 12:30pm

by Ian McArthur

  Edinburgh Monarchs Academy

Edinburgh Monarchs Academy will start their WSRA National Development League season this Friday with a home fixture against the Middlesbrough Tigers, followed by the return in Redcar on Saturday.

The Academy have built a strong and diverse side this year, featuring familiar returning favourites and some intriguing newcomers, including a national champion from down under and the club's first female star.

Early table-toppers Middlesbrough will provide a stern test, but with top-end strength and some potential lower down the order, there is every chance that this Edinburgh side can mount a strong challenge again this year, after falling just one point short of champions Oxford in 2025.

Jordy Loftus will ride at No 1. The teenage Monarch has already shown flashes of real quality in the Championship and will be ready to lead the way. The young Welsh / Aussie rider will have a busy weekend, as he will also ride in the GB U21 Championship semi-final at Leicester on Sunday.

Connor Coles was due to captain the side this year before his horror crash at Buxton last month. The club and its supporters are fully behind Connor as he continues his recovery from serious injury and everyone's thoughts remain with him and his family at this time.

Connor's absence will be covered by the rider replacement facility on Friday and Dayle Wood will assume the captaincy. This will be Dayle's fourth NDL season with Edinburgh and he has been enjoying a breakthrough year at Championship level with Oxford. He scored a very impressive 11+1 for them last week at Armadale, to go with an 8+2 score guesting for Berwick earlier in the month.

Vinnie Foord had been due to complete a very strong top-4 but he is still ruled-out by an early-season knee injury sustained at Redcar. The surprise replacement is former Birmingham prospect James Shanes, who is stepping up his comeback from injury. Complications arising from a very serious arm injury sustained in 2022 have largely kept him off-track for over three years. A talented long track rider and grass tracker, James has been riding on both grass and shale recently and it will be interesting to see how quickly he can get back up to speed.

Jamie Halder will celebrate his 27th birthday this week with his debut appearance for Edinburgh. The Yorkshireman performed well at Armadale last season and was an obvious target for the No 2 race jacket this year.

At reserve, the Academy were delighted to capture 2-time New Zealand champion Ben Whalley on just a 2-point average. The 23-year-old from Christchurch was the youngest-ever winner of the New Zealand title in 2021 and repeated in 2025. After a couple of years in Australia, this will be his first time in the UK and there is every chance that he will be a trump card at reserve and outperform his average from the outset.

Jordy's big sister Anika Loftus will bring girl power to Armadale for the first time. The 18-year-old has proven to be an accomplished rider at home in Australia and should quickly develop into a steady points scorer. Anika has already made a big impression on-track and in the media and could be an important role model for women in speedway. With several young female riders showing promise in the British Youth Championships, it may not be long before a UK-based woman challenges Hannah Grunwald and Celina Liebmann at the top of the sport, and it could be Welsh-qualified Anika leading the way.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo may have a lone piper, but the Tigers have two Pijpers in their line-up. Both Ace and Stene were born in Edinburgh, so if Scotland had an SON 2 team, they would probably be in it. They are, of course, the fruit of the loins of Monarchs' favourite Theo Pijper - a key performer in the revered 2003 team which brought the club's first league title to Edinburgh. Ace, the older brother, is enjoying a strong start with Redcar and will be expected to be one of the top riders in the NDL.

Harry Sadler also has speedway DNA. The young Aussie is the son of former Peterborough star Nigel Sadler. Kiwi veteran Jade Mudgway has come out of retirement to help the Tigers out, and he has identified 16-year-old Charlie Southwick as one to watch. The talented Corfe Castle youngster has just made his Championship debut for local club Poole and has exciting potential.

The Tigers will be without Nathan Ablitt on Friday as he is riding for Scunthorpe in the Championship, but he will be back for the return fixture in Redcar. Edinburgh won both matches last year and will want a flying start if they are to improve on last season's second-place finish

Leicester look like they might be pre-season favourites to win the six-team league, but Middlesbrough managed home and away wins over Oxford Chargers, while Buxton and Kings Lynn are also yet to start.

With interest in the Academy team at higher levels than ever, there will hopefully be a sizeable crowd at Armadale to support the team and enjoy an exciting glimpse of the future.

Friday 22nd May 2026: Edinburgh Academy v Middlesbrough Tigers, Armadale Stadium, 7:30pm

ROSS COMMERCIAL FINANCE MONARCHS ACADEMY: Jordy Loftus, Jamie Halder, Rider Replacement for Connor Coles, James Shanes, Dayle Wood (captain), Ben Whalley, Anika Loftus, Rocco Webb (No 8)

HARTBURN GARAGE MIDDLESBROUGH TIGERS: Ace Pijper, Alex Spooner, Jade Mudgway, Stene Pijper, Seth Norman (guest), Harry Sadler, Charlie Southwick. *Nathan Ablitt replaces Seth Norman on Saturday.

Book Tickets   Pre-Order Live Stream