AUSTRALIAN ace James Holder has become the latest rider to pin his colours to Plymouth Devils' mast for next year's British Speedway Premier League campaign.

Holder (pictured right) confirmed by email that he would join chairman Mike Bowden's Devils line-up for 2011 from his home in New South Wales.

Twenty-five-year-old Holder has been at West Country Premier League rivals Somerset Rebels for the past two years, after being released by Stoke Potters midway through the 2010 campaign.

Holder becomes the second Rebel to make the switch from Highbridge to the St Boniface Arena, following the capture of former Somerset skipper Steve Boxall last week.

Bowden is delighted with his latest acquisition, believing Holder, whose brother Chris rides for Poole Pirates in the Élite League, will be a 'great asset' for Devils next term.

"I'm really pleased that James has agreed to join us next season and I'm certain the Devils fans will like him a lot," said Bowden.

"I've been trying to get James for a while, having known both him and his brother Chris since their days riding for the Isle of Wight Islanders.

"James comes to us with an average of 4.4 which fits in nicely with the rest of what I hope will be our starting seven.

"He's young, hungry and ambitious to help Plymouth continue to improve next year, as are the other signings that we've made in the past few weeks.

"I'm not sure yet where he will fit in, in terms of position in our set-up, possibly at number four or maybe even reserve.

"But that's to be decided later, but for now I'm just delighted to have signed James, I'm sure he will be a great asset."

Holder, like his better-known, elder brother Chris, was born in Sydney and started his British speedway career, riding on the Isle of Wight, in James' case in 2008, in the Premier League.

He signed for Newport Wasps in 2009 after the Islanders quit the Premier League.

After being freed by Stoke last year, he was picked up by Somerset to ride as reserve, at first as 28-day injury cover.

When in England, the Holder brothers live together in Poole which, quipped Bowden, means James is 'bound to have good equipment for his bike – if not he can borrow off Chris'.

Bowden has been busy since second-from-bottom Devils ended their first season in the Premier League with a positive runs of results, particularly at home, where they enjoyed a nine-meeting winning streak.

Already aboard for next term are Cornwall-born star Ben Barker, former Sheffield Tigers skipper Ricky Ashworth, Nicki Glanz, Boxall, while Bowden is expecting American Brent Werner to put pen to paper for Plymouth for 2012.