PITCH P R E S E R VAT I O N
T E C H N I C A L U P D AT E
A POLICY FOR SEASONLONG USAGE
An agreed pitch policy can help preserve surfaces and make them playable for a complete season while reducing annual pitch maintenance costs at the same time A universal pitch policy helped transform this Su�olk rugby pitch
H By Andy Spetch Volunteer head groundsman, Bury St Edmunds RUFC
aving a playing membership of 500 using three full-size pitches, a three-quarters 4G surface and four mini pitches, Bury St Edmunds RUFC in Suffolk finds balancing demand for use while minimising pitch damage is a real issue. Six years ago, after monitoring training sessions and games, it was clear that skills sessions such as lineouts, rucking and repetitive passing were causing the highest amount of wear in concentrated areas. If the pitches were to last the complete season, a ‘pitch policy’ was needed to ensure the needs of the teams – four senior men’s, ladies, youth from under 12s through to colts and minis aged six to 12 – were met. The policy’s objectives were to: Improve and maintain the playing surfaces of all pitches to the highest standard Ensure season-long playable pitches. The policy covers everything from where to carry out pre-season training, lineout practice and pre-match warm-ups through to the management of spectators. Management of player traffic on the pitches, and keeping training off the playing areas as much as possible, has helped to significantly reduce compaction, especially under the floodlights. This is better known as ‘first floodlight training syndrome’. Having drafted the policy, it was important to get the club’s buy-in and meetings were held with
20 THE GROUNDSMAN August 2018
“It was important to get the club’s buy-in” the committee, team managers and coaches to get feedback and produce a policy agreed by all.
THE RESULT
Specific zones off the playing areas were introduced and marked out for skills work – which means coaches can deliver the sessions they need while keeping damage to the playing area to a minimum – and run throughs are allowed on the playing areas on a rotational basis, again to reduce overuse on any one area. On match days, coaches and managers are now asked to meet and greet the opposition and show them where to warm up, and to point out the route to the pitch they will be playing on. This has helped stop opposition players, and their supporters, from walking across one pitch to get to another. While the pitch policy has also helped to manage expectations and conflict between teams, the greatest results can be seen through the condition of the pitches, the very small number of cancelled games and the reduction in annual maintenance costs, especially in the outlay on seed. Before the introduction of the policy and an annual pitch maintenance plan, overseeding rates would be 25-30g/m2. Today they are down to just 15-20g/m2.