How FieldTurf took Easts Rugby Union Football Club to the next level

How FieldTurf took Easts Rugby Union Football Club to the next level

Nested away in Sydney’s Eastern suburb of Woollahra is the Easts Rugby Union Football Club. More than 120 years old, the club was home to men’s and women’s rugby in the region.

 

After facing play delays due to weather and spending hours on the field to complete maintenance work, the club decided to switch from natural grass to FieldTurf synthetic turf on the Andrew Petrie Oval in 2016. Other reasons factored into this switch included boosting usage of facilities by offering a multi-sport field that could also withstand heavy traffic conditions caused by extensive play with several players active on the same turf.

The new Easts Rugby Club field surface saw the daylight in 2018, when Turf One completed the installation of the FieldTurf FIFA Quality and World Rugby certified system selected for this facility.

 

The club was pleased with the outcome of the project. Easts Rugby Club reported less injuries at training and games. With more time being spent on-field and higher attendance due to the less injuries, the surplus financials was a happy added benefit. The club seeked to enhance an attractive style of play, and this was confirmed by players who expressed their satisfaction with the playing consistency of the surface. The club also reported that scheduling had become more reliable with more games going as planned due to lower disruptions caused by injuries or unfavourable post-weather playing conditions.

 

Here is what Dominic Remond, CEO at Easts Rugby, had to say:

“I have seen many types of pitches in my coaching career that span over 25 years, in 5 countries and at every level, from schools to international, and I’ve had many experiences with different forms of pitches.

The synthetic pitch offers an improved level of speed of play and an increased level of safety. Also, the groundsmens’ job becomes easier as the durability of the surface and an improved ability to withstand any level of weather sees drainage and recovery of the pitch at optimal level. This provides a huge financial gain to the club and the council with less maintenance.”

 

Mark Bakewell, professional rugby coach, validated his approval of synthetic turf:

“I was lucky enough to be a coach for more than 13 years in The Northern Hemisphere. The evolution to embrace synthetic pitches has massively changed the brand of rugby that can be played. In the past, in a typical Northern winter on a natural pitch, games would literally be a mud bath and no ball in hand rugby was possible. Now, with the installation of synthetic pitches, for example, Saracens, Newcastle and Worcester in the English Premiership and Cardiff in The Pro 14, both home and away teams know they can play all facet rugby which is a huge bonus for players and spectators.

Finally coming back to Australia in 2020, I have managed to see the positive impact the synthetic pitch has had at Easts Rugby Club and the whole sporting community both on and off the field. Again, a huge positive endorsement for synthetic pitches.”

 

FieldTurf PureFill was used as the choice of infill for Easts Rugby. PureFill is a natural cork infill harvested from the cork oak tree every nine years, using harm-free techniques. One of the biggest advantages of PureFill is its ability to cool down surfaces, which Easts Rugby Club was quite impressed with. U

Easts Rugby Club has reported a massive increment in leasing opportunities and reduced friction with the Woollahra Council as there are mutual benefits for both parties with the FieldTurf-powered multi-sport field.

 

Susan Wyne, Mayor of the Woollahra Council, shared her thoughts on the new FieldTurf surface and the PureFill addition:

“This is an amazing asset for the community as the installation of synthetic grass has allowed us to double the use of the field without the need for long shut-downs for turf maintenance. It can be used all year round, in any weather, and we no longer use water for irrigation or chemicals for fertilizing and pest control. Because we have a natural cork infill, we don’t have problems with excess heat in summer.”

 

 

ABOUT THE SYNTHETIC TURF SYSTEM INSTALLED AT WOOLLAHRAH OVAL 1

FieldTurf synthetic turf is made with exclusive FieldTurf fibres using the best polymers in the industry.  Precision engineered and boast superior grass aesthetics, FieldTurf surface offers a beautiful natural-looking sport landscape with exceptional durability and comfortable play. Not just that, but it’s perfect for rugby, football, gaelic football, and other multi-sport usage.

Key part of a performance of a field, PureFill infill was chosen for this field. Made from cork, and unlike with other infill variants, PureFill does not need to be accompanied by irrigation or watering to achieve heat reduction. Other benefits include UV resistance, high durability, aesthetic colouring, which are terrific additions to PureFill’s inherent environment-friendly properties include recyclability, non-toxicity, as well as anti-microbial and anti-allergic qualities. As a testament to its high standards, PureFill is used worldwide in systems approved by both FIFA and World Rugby.

 

 

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