Irish rugby will enter a new era tomorrow afternoon at Donnybrook as the first game takes place on the new artificial surface being installed by Leinster Rugby at Bective Rangers and Old Wesley’s clubs.
The one time home of the Leinster senior team still holds an important place as a venue for senior club and especially schools rugby and the new surface will allow for better quality and a continued high level of use.
The pitch is being installed by Pride Sports and Sportworks, and is funded by Leinster Rugby with assistance from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s Capital Grants scheme.
“This is the same surface that has proven a real winner for Saracens in the Aviva Premiership and in both look and feel it is the best there is,” said David Fry, Managing Director of Pride Sports on handing over the Bective Rangers pitch ahead of tomorrow’s first match.
The installation involved removing the old pitches and their hundreds of tonnes of topsoil before cutting drainage channels and laying pipes. The work has continued through the off season and is nearing completion on the main Donnybrook pitch as well.
Three layers of stone, in different but equally consistent sizes were then laid before a 20mm pre-fabricated shock pad is laid on top. This is made from recycled material and will last for 100 years.
The final surface of the pitch is laid in 4m wide rolls which are then hand cut and stitched to provide the actual playing surface of the synthetic grass. It looks and feels like the best grass pitch you can imagine and the success at Saracens has also prompted Newcastle Falcons and the English RFU to instal similar pitches.
Sand and rubber are laid into the grass providing additional protection against impact as well as grip.
The line markings are actually cut out of the surface and added in white while the try area on the two pitches at Donnybrook have been laid in Leinster Blue.
“It takes a few weeks and some use for the pitches to achieve their optimum playing surface qualities,” added Fry. “But by the time autumn rolls into winter, the two pitches, traditionally known for cutting up under such intense use will provide a surface the like of which we have not been able to provide before for players in Ireland.”
Pride Sports are currently involved in over 30 projects around the country, including at the National Sports Campus and the days of mud baths as playing surfaces appear to be numbered. Certainly when the sides run out at Bective this weekend it will be the dawn of a new era for how the game of rugby is played, and one that is very much for the better.
