Winter Sports - Rugby Union
Opened in November 2008 as the new home of Welsh rugby union clubs, Scarlets and Llanelli RFC, the Parc y Scarlets stadium complex encompasses a first-class natural grass main pitch and training ground plus a composite athletics track, all tended by two of the UK’s youngest professional groundsmen. Mike Bird learns how they do it
L
ess than four years ago, 25-year-old Luke Jenkins was working as the public catering manager at Llanelli’s Parc y Scarlets stadium, responsible for ensuring that fast
food and refreshments were available for up to 15,000 spectators attending high- profile rugby union and football matches from mid August through to the following May. Today, Luke is the stadium’s head
groundsman, having taken over from Dean Gilasbey in June 2011 when the latter left to become technical specialist for a firm developing pest and disease control products for the sports turf and agricultural sectors. Supporting Luke on day-to-day
grounds maintenance tasks within the stadium, and other areas at Parc y Scarlets, is Jack Davies, who joined the staff in September 2011 from his previous position working as a local authority gardener.
Having been virtually on his own for
three months, Luke was delighted when he was given a full-time assistant to
replace the part-time youth trainees that had been enlisted to help him out during the summer of 2011.
“I had been working as Dean’s assistant for just eight months before he left,” recalled Luke. “Despite learning a tremendous amount during that time about the care of winter sports pitches, I was still very green and was concerned about making silly mistakes or costly decisions as I started on pitch renovations ready for the new season.” “It was a big responsibility, but Parc y Scarlets stuck with me and gave me all possible support, a situation that remains constant to this day. I was encouraged also by the fact that stadium manager, Dave Healey, was never far away and was always available to provide helpful advice or have a chat about pitch maintenance issues and practices.” A former head groundsman at Swansea City when the club played at the Vetch Field, Dave Healey was head groundsman at Llanelli’s Stradey Park from July 2006 until the move to Parc y Scarlets, when he was appointed
From fast food to fast learning!
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