Russian champion Sergei Darkin races into the country next week to make his UK debut for Eagles.

Yet the club know little about the rider who is set to join the international revolution at Arlington.

Eastbourne boss Jon Cook admitted: "I don't really know anything about him.

"Roman Povazhny is talking to him this week to get all the background on him for the club."

If everything goes according to plan, Darkin should make his first appearance in Eastbourne's colours against Poole Pirates next Saturday.

Depending on his commitments in his home land, he is also likely to ride at King's Lynn and possibly Oxford if that match is put back a week.

Eagles are keen to take a look at Darkin with a view to signing him for next season.

Eastbourne moved quickly to snap up an option on Darkin when he rode alongside Povazhny in this summer's World Cup tournament in Poland.

One man who does know Darkin and rates him highly is international speedway ob-server Mike Patrick.

Said Patrick: "Take it from me, he's good. He was very impressive in the World Cup.

"He looked a class rider there and could be a big hit in this country.

"He might take time to adapt to the smaller tracks in England, especially Arlington, but that shouldn't be a problem. It took Roman a while, but he has done it."

Darkin top scored for Russia in their opening match in the World Cup in Gdansk against Denmark, Sweden and Slovenia, scoring 11 points, which included two race wins.

Among the riders he beat were a posse of Grand Prix men, Jimmy Nilsen, Nicki Pedersen, Niklas Klingberg, Brian Andersen and Matej Ferjan.

He was also Russia's top rider in the run-off meeting in Wroclaw against Great Britain, the USA, Denmark and the Czech Republic with six points, when he beat world champion Mark Loram.

Patrick has followed Dar-kin's career since he rode in the World Team Cup in Germany in 1996 and is in no doubt that he is a world-class performer.

"He rides in the Polish League as well as Russia, and every winter he goes to Australia to take part in the Ivan Mauger series.

"In Russia he also rides ice speedway."

Darkin has never been to England, but Patrick says: "He told me he would really like to come here and ride a few meetings to see how it went."

If Darkin does link up with Eagles in 2002, he is likely to line up alongside England's Joe Screen, fellow countryman Povazhny and Sweden's Joonas Kylmakorpi, plus possibly the Czech rider Toni Svab, in a cosmopolitan Eastbourne squad.