Turf Side Up TURF SIDE UP! The not so serious side of the industry Piggy in the middle!
DAVID ‘Piggy’ Powell is remembered fondly on the Northampton Saints RFC website as a no holes barred prop who has served the club for over forty years.
He is currently Head Groundsman at the club’s Franklin Garden stadium where his pitch is regarded as ‘the best in English rugby’.
There is many a small child who knows him more as the scary shouting bloke telling them to get off the pitch than as the legend on it, but no one is better qualified to comment on recent events at Saracens than David.
In a blog on the ITV Rugby website he wrote the following: “In principle, I have no objection to synthetic surfaces being used for the development of rugby. At junior and intermediate level they often provide a much- needed multi-functional surface for rugby training and other sports to take place on a continual basis.”
“What I do object to are the comments from those who market, develop and install these products - because this is what we have to call them - that tell us that such surfaces will improve our game. Certainly professional rugby must ask itself why we should need to alter the surface we have played on since William
India’s Pradesh moment ...
THIS is India’s latest international cricket venue; the stunningly beautiful Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Webb Ellis ran with the ball on the playing fields at Rugby School.”
He goes on to say: “Other than when it is required for training, why do we need to even consider synthetic grass as a possible playing surface at professional, or in fact at any level?”
“We have some of the best pitches in the world here in the UK, and these venues continue to improve all the time. Players have certainly not made any representations to say that they are unhappy with grass pitches.”
“It is certainly my belief that synthetic pitches will lead to a sterile, synthetic game that will not excite a new generation of players and spectators to join our ranks to compete against other sports such as rugby league and football.”
You can read the full blog here -
http://www.itv.com/rugby/blog/art ificial-turf-debate/
Stumped by the stimp?
AFTER two years of internal development, the USGA has announced a new stimpmeter. Unlike the old version, a 36- inch-long aluminium bar painted green, the new model is a 36-inch-long aluminium bar painted dazzling ‘USGA blue’.
The other ‘major’ development is a second hole. Now you have a choice of two places to position the golf ball before lifting one end of the stimpmeter and allowing the ball to roll down the V-shaped channel and across the green. The
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The town of Dharamsala, where the stadium was built in 2003, is best know as the home of the Dalai Lama, who was guest of honour at the first international match to be played in late January; a One Day International against England.
It is also home to the Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Kings XI Punjab and hosted two of their games to sell out crowds in the 2012 tournament. It was the scheduling of these two fixtures that saw the installation of floodlights which, subsequently, led to the stadium’s ‘worthiness’ to hold international matches.
C, and England ran out winners by seven wickets to bring an element of respectability to the series, losing it 3-2.
Before the England game, there were fears that the match might be called off due to snow but, in the end, it was played in a pleasant 21O
In this cricket mad country, they already have some of the most impressive cricket venues, many of which have been newly built or
modernised to accommodate the IPL.
In the HPCA Stadium, they have created a real gem, and one to rival the best in the West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa.
Golf ethics ...
WHAT if you were playing in the club championship tournament finals, and the match was halved at the end of 17 holes?
You had the honour and hit your ball a modest two hundred and fifty yards to the middle of the fairway, leaving a simple six iron to the pin.
distance the ball travels in feet, arithmetically adjusted in the case of the second hole, is the speed of the green.
As exciting as this new stimpmeter is, the USGA’s $110 asking price seems a tad ‘steep’.
Your opponent then hits his ball, lofting it deep into the woods to the right of the fairway. Being the golfing gentleman that you are, you help your opponent look for his ball.
Just before the permitted five minute search period ends, your opponent says: “Go ahead and hit your second shot and if I don’t find it in
time, I’ll concede the match.”
You hit your ball, landing it on the green, stopping about ten feet from the pin. About the time your ball comes to rest, you hear your opponent exclaim from deep in the woods: “I found it!”.
The second sound you hear is a click, the sound of a club striking a ball, and the ball comes sailing out of the woods and lands on the green, stopping no more than six inches from the hole.
Now, here is the ethical dilemma: Do you pull the cheating b*****d’s ball out of your pocket and confront him with it, or do you keep your mouth shut?
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