Mon, Sep 20, 2021 10:52 PM

Lansdowne turf is tops

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Peter Jones

Lansdowne Park’s newly-surfaced number one ground was given its first test when the Tasman Development team met their Wellington counterparts on Sunday - and it passed with flying colours.

Kahu Marfell, Tasman community rugby manager, was thrilled with how the new surface came through.

“It looked like carpet out there before the game and you can’t even tell there has been a game played on it after the game. It provided perfect conditions for running rugby.”

In Sunday’s fixture most of the running rugby came from the visitors, who overwhelmed the Tasman Development side 73-17 with an irresistible combination of speedy, quick-stepping backs and powerful forwards.

The main field at Marlborough rugby headquarters has been out of action all season, undergoing a major transformation. A sand-based pitch has been installed, designed to bring the province’s premier rugby venue up to the same level as Trafalgar Park, Nelson, Seddon Park in Hamilton and the Basin Reserve, in Wellington, all of whom use the same turf system.

Time was required for the pitch and upgraded drainage system to bed in, with turf root growth being closely monitored, meaning play on the iconic ground was not possible through the club season.

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Tasman Development player Campbell Parata looks for a gap. 

It was originally intended that action on the No 1 field could begin in early August, with the first Mako match scheduled for Saturday, September 11. Consequently, it was hoped that there would be several matches played on the ground before the NPC fixture, but COVID threw a spanner in the works.

Now the Development fixture will be the only opportunity to get some sprigs into the Lansdowne soil before the Mako come to town on Sunday October 3, meeting Southland at 4.35pm in the Bunnings NPC fixture.

Jamie Lyall, manager of property and community facilities at the Marlborough District Council [MDC], says all the testing work on the field had met expectations, with five areas being graded and core samples at those points exceeding requirements.

Robert Hutchinson, MDC’s Parks and Open Spaces Officer, says the Development match was a trial for the new surface.

“You have to test it and see how it comes through. We will use the Development game to see how it plays and then we have some time to do some tweaking if we need to … but I doubt very much we will need to do anything.”

Robert also suggested the extra few weeks growth the pitch has been allowed, due to COVID, will only have been beneficial.

“The roots will be deeper, the grass sward will be a lot thicker and better to play on than a reasonably new surface. It’s very exciting and we are all looking forward to getting play back on number one.”

Robert said that sensors placed in the No 1 ground allowed moisture levels and soil temperature to be constantly monitored.

Completion of the new multi-sport Hub at the south end of the ground had been delayed, with latest estimates suggesting it may be ready in late October.

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Winger Roderick Solo races away for another try on Sunday.

Meanwhile, both Robert and Jamie are confident the resurfacing, which cost around $700,000, will ultimately allow more games to go ahead on the province’s main rugby arena.

“Council’s basis for agreeing to [the renovation] was the increase in games played on number one, throughout the season. That focusses primarily on age grade, junior, local senior and women’s rugby,” said Jamie.

Robert was hopeful the ground would be in use all year long. “Summer, winter … whatever sport wants to [play on No 1], if we can fit them in then they are welcome to give it a crack.”

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