Rory Schlein is ready to roar back into the fold at Wolves
Rory Schlein is making an emotional return to Wolverhampton – just over a year since he retired from the sport.
The former Parrys International Wolves skipper hung up his goggles last October and headed back home to Australia to set up a new life for his young family.
But a change of heart will now see the 2020 British champion get back on track in the UK, where he has also secured a second tier spot with Berwick.
Schlein will return to Monmore Green as a direct replacement for Nick Morris.
Club promoter Chris Van Straaten explained: “As I have said on more than one occasion now, Wolverhampton’s participation in the 2023 Premiership was dependant on the addition of a seventh club to the league.
“So we were delighted when Leicester’s application was accepted and of course there’s the added bonus from our point of view that it’s another Midlands club which can only be a good thing.
“We received early communication from their management though who asked if we would consider releasing Nick Morris so that they could have some form of continuity in their team after he raced for them in this year’s Championship.
“Around the same time, I received a message from Rory saying: ‘I’m on my way back boss.’
“At first I was a little confused and wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but I soon established that he was moving back to England to race professional speedway again.
“His young family haven’t settled in Australia and they’ve made the decision to return to the UK.
“He asked if there was any way possible that we could fit him into our team plans, so myself and Peter (Adams, team manager) discussed a few things and we decided to bring Rory back to replace Nick who is an integral part of Leicester’s team plans.
“We wish Nick all the best and we thank him for his efforts since joining us in 2019.
“But on the other hand, it’s absolutely fantastic to have Rory coming back to British speedway and of course Wolverhampton – he became a very loyal servant to the club in the latter stages of his career and we’re confident he can pick up where he left off in 2021.”
Schlein – who raced for the club between 2017 and 2021 – is Wolverhampton’s fifth rider and will again link up with previous team-mates Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas and rising star Leon Flint.
