Winter Sports - Rugby
The pitch and the Burdda Stand - shading is just one of the issues that rugby groundsmen have had to contend with as the sport has developed
specialist, James Pugh Lewis, takes all drainage water from the pitch into the lake where it is stored, alongside all the rainwater from the roofs and car parks. It can then be used for irrigation as required,” David explains. The system is so effective that, at Easter 1998, when Northampton’s St James district was devastated by flooding, the pitch was dry. The match still unfortunately had to be cancelled as the local roads were impassable! Contractor Carl Pass of Premier Pitches
helped to devise the fibresand mix for the pitch and David is proud of the good reputation the pitch has among visiting teams - and notably among their physiotherapists who keep a close eye on injuries sustained at grounds. “You have to be careful with fibre, as too much can make the pitch hard and increase the risk of injuries.”
The irrigation system is virtually automatic, although three mobile fountains are used in the middle of the pitch so that they can be moved about to take account of drift in the windy environment of the stadium. “Because
the water comes from our own lake, it is at minimal cost,” points out David. Catering for harsh winters is equally
important, and David has worked closely with Nigel Felton of Sports and Stadium Services to develop a dome pitch covering system to keep the frost and rain out. David admits that his approach to machinery is ‘agricultural’ and that he does not understand the move towards only using pedestrian equipment in stadia. “We mow with a ride-on triple, use
tractor-mounted rotaries if required and I'm happy to take a tractor on the pitch for sweeping, fertiliser spreading and spraying. I’m all for minimising compaction, but it’s about choosing the right tractors and working in the right conditions rather than being afraid to use a tractor,” he says. “We’ll use a Soil Reliever regularly, where it’s needed, and slit and aerate as conditions allow.”
The Soil Reliever was deployed to the club with a Deutz Agroplus tractor as part of an RFU scheme and later came into the club’s possession. “The Deutz is shod on turf tyres and does all the heavy work, but we also
PC JUNE/JULY 2015 I 95
I’m all for minimising compaction, but it’s about choosing the right tractors and working in the right conditions, rather than being afraid to use a tractor
”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156