THE SOMERSET Rebels have announced the seven riders who will represent the club for the 2014 season, which gets under way in March - as the team look to defend the three trophies won in 2013.

The team will see three of those riders from the highly successful 2013 campaign returning to the side - with skipper Jason Doyle, his Australian compatriot Nick Morris and Englishman Charles Wright all committing.

The four new faces to the septet are the current Premier League Riders' Champion, Olly Allen, who spent last season with Rye House, Todd Kurtz, who has made the move from local rivals Plymouth to join the Rebels, Kurtz's younger brother, Brady, for whom 2014 will be his debut season of racing in the UK - and Paul Starke, who rode for Berwick in 2013.

Team manager Garry May said: “Having done the league and cup double in 2013, the challenge is now on to defend our titles, but it is a challenge that we relish and are looking forward to.

“We went into the 2013 season with a strong top 3 and that was my intention again when constructing the team for next season, and although that does take up a good number of the team building points available to us, I like having top-end strength in a team, especially for those crucial heats that come in the latter stages of matches.”

Three of the 2014 Rebels' side, Paul Starke, Olly Allen and Nick Morris, were in attendance at the announcement which was made in front of a large contingent of Somerset fans who packed the Oaktree to hear the news.