ARTIFICIAL TURF
The pitch was supplied and installed by UK-based SIS Group
The surfacing product used underwent 50,000 cycles of testing RUGGER ON RUBBER
Saracens was the first professional rugby union club to install an artificial pitch at its home venue. We take a closer look at the surface at the newly opened Allianz Park
Tom Walker • managing ediTor • sporTs managemenT
pitch. Home to Aviva Premiership club Saracens, the official opening of the £24m venue took place on 16th Febru- ary during Saracens’ clash with Exeter Chiefs - a game which Saracens won com- fortably 31-11. Any doubts the Saracens players might have harboured over the new surface suiting their style of play were quickly cast aside as the team went on to win five of its first Premiership games at Allianz Park. The winning run lasted until 12 May, when Saracens lost to Northampton in the league semi-final. This season (at the time of going to
A
print), Saracens have won all three of their first home games at Allianz Park. The past nine months have shown that not only have Saracens taken to the new surface, but other teams have noted the advantages it offers. Cardiff Blues, the first opposition side to face Saracens at Allianz Park in a soft opening game in January, were certainly impressed – the club have since installed an artificial turf pitch at its Cardiff Arms Park stadium.
TURFING IT Specifically developed for rugby union, the Allianz Park surface was supplied
llianz Park in Mill Hill, North London became the first venue to host professional rugby union games on a non-grass
by SIS Group. To survive the rough and tumble of professional rugby, SIS’s specially-designed ‘Rugger 65’ turf had to pass rigorous field tests to ensure optimum playing safety and lifetime. Specified by Saracens for full commu- nity as well as match duties, the pitch is the first application of the polyethylene fibre, which is designed to be extremely durable yet soft. According to George Mullan, SIS chief executive, the SIS Rug-
Research suggests an
artificial surface fosters a faster game - there are no muddy quagmires
ger 65 was put through its paces more comprehensively than natural grass and was tested independently to meet Inter- national Rugby Board (IRB) standards. “Everything from vertical deformation
to ball roll and bounce was tested,”he said. “We usually test artificial carpets to 20,000 cycles, but this surface has been tested to 50,000 cycles under extremely stringent conditions, designed to repli- cate performance characteristics.”
68 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital Completed in December, 2013 SIS
worked in partnership with Labosport and Eric Wright Contractors on the proj- ect. The 12-week installation process involved laying a conventional stone base, including drainage, with an in-situ 25mm shock pad laid on before before rolling out the 65mm-pile carpet with rubber crumb infill. The two tone green surface is surrounded with a perimeter carpet in blue, to represent that of sta- dium sponsor – banking group Allianz. The pitch offers more flexibility for
staging a full programme of sport at all levels, with Saracens keen to attract local clubs and schools. “Research suggests that an artificial
surface fosters a faster game,” Mullan added. “This is due to fewer knock-ons and no muddy quagmires. Rather than variable conditions, the surface offers a stable surface all year round and more consistent footfall.” The site stadium itself posed a number
of challenges for SIS. One of these was to work within an athletics track – with the track still being used – throughout the project. Phil Blackwell, operations director on the Allianz project explains: “We had to come up with a solution for the pitch perimeter where it met with the track surface. A temporary remov- able system was required to achieve the
Issue 3 2013 © cybertrek 2013
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