SYNTHETIC SURFACES
Synthetic Turf in
Steve Griffiths, head of technical services at the IRB, explains how synthetic turf could assist the sport
ing of 117 member unions or federations, its 2010-2020 Strategic Plan outlines the vision: Rugby – A Sport for All True to its Values; as well as its mission to: Grow the Global Rugby Family. Synthetic turf can assist with these ob-
T
jectives by helping to boost the global development of the game, particularly where there is a lack of playing facili- ties or inclement growing conditions for natural turf. A synthetic turf surface can be used by many sports to help increase participation and the IRB is witnessing an increase in worldwide provision for rugby. Asian countries are hosting inter- national rugby matches on this type of surface, while the Saracens Rugby Club, in the English Aviva Premiership League, has announced its intention to install a synthetic turf pitch with many more installations expected at the grassroots level of the game in the near future.
he International Rugby Board (IRB) is the international federa- tion that governs and develops rugby across the world. Consist-
The artificial advantage A typical natural turf pitch can yield up to 30 playing hours a week if cor- rectly maintained and ambient weather conditions allow, although a strict maintenance process needs to be imple- mented. Synthetic turf can provide a significant increase in the number of playing hours, over natural turf surfaces. As a result of this, a synthetic turf in-
stallation can become a financially viable option for many sporting organisations. The increased usage, combined with a reduction in ongoing maintenance costs, makes it an attractive proposition for facility managers. Once installed, the synthetic turf can
also offer commercial opportunities, such as multi-sport and even non-sport- ing usage – usually requiring a standard maintenance regime afterwards to bring the facility back to optimal performance for sport. If managed effectively, the income received from such events can cover the cost of installation and in some instances provide a source of additional income for the club/facility owner. From an environmental point of view,
this surface requires little or no water, in comparison to natural turf, which makes it a more sustainable option for countries in which water is in short supply. It can also be a more practical solution for coun- tries where extreme weather conditions
College Rifles Rugby Club in New Zealand chose FieldTurf Tarkett for the resurfacing of the club’s two rugby fields
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RUGBY
prevail and growing natural turf is dif- ficult – providing a consistent surface in climates with seasonal variations, particu- larly when used for elite tournaments.
Obstacles overcome Early experiments with the use of syn- thetic turf in association football in the UK were not very successful and much of the opposition today comes from the managers of teams who experienced the early generations of turf where there were significant issues surrounding ball and player surface interaction on hard surfaces. However, with the innovation of long-pile rubber crumb surfaces (or 3G) the old issues have been removed and fortunately rugby has benefited from today’s more positive experiences.
Player welfare The IRB’s core philosophy is about pro- tecting the player and the sport. The physical nature of the sport means that players have significant high-impact surface interactions. It’s therefore vital that the synthetic surface poses no ad- ditional risks to players to that of good quality natural turf in normal conditions and that safety standards are maintained during the surface lifetime – not just on day one. This also protects those that invest in synthetic turf and prevents po- tential litigation. The IRB also stresses that the turf must
not change the normal dynamics of the game, whether that be through player or ball interaction with the sports surface.
Issue 1 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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