Artificial pitches

[Phil E]

RFU Essential Guide to Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) for Rugby Union
This essential guide is designed to briefly highlight some of the key issues relating to Artificial
Grass Pitches for Rugby Union.

3G/4G/5G
There is no such thing as a 4G/5G pitch as recognised by the AGP industry. 3rd Generation or ‘3G’
pitches use the most up to date technology available. The term 3G relates to systems that use a
long pile carpet with sand and rubber infill. Any use of the term 4G or 5G is incorrect. You may
hear it from company reps who are trying to gain an edge on competitors by making a very minor
(inconsequential) change to the specification and selling it as 4G or even 5G. The pitch at
Saracens is a 3G pitch, despite what you might read in the press!

Suitable for Rugby?
A 3G pitch is not necessarily appropriate for contact rugby union. Whether or not a surface is
suitable for contact rugby union (matches or training) is extremely straightforward. The pitch
simply has to have an up to date test certificate that demonstrates compliance to IRB Regulation
22. This must test must be carried out by an IRB accredited test institute. IRB regulation 22
relates to the performance standard of the pitch and measures criteria such as head impact, ball
bounce, joint strength and energy restitution. These tests reflect the characteristics of a good
quality natural turf pitch. Test certificates should be forwarded to the RFU Club Facilities
Technical Manager, Ted Mitchell so a formal ‘permission to use’ letter can be issued from the
RFU. The IRB Regulation 22 test must be renewed every 2 years.

There is no way to tell if an AGP is suitable for contact rugby union by simply looking at it but a
list all IRB compliant AGPs in England is on rfu.com along with their test status.

Rugby and other sports
AGP systems can be manufactured and installed so that they meet all the requirements of the
IRB, the RFL and FIFA, BUT if a pitch is certified by RFL/FIFA this does not necessarily mean it
meets IRB regulations. There are currently no systems available that meet the requirements of
the IRB and FIH (for competition level hockey)

Insurance
A statement is on rfu.com from the RFU Insurance Broker (Marsh) which states that an AGP that
has been tested and subsequently signed off by the RFU is treated in the same way as a natural
turf pitch for insurance purposes. Pitches that do not have an up to date test certificate may not
have appropriate insurance.

Non-contact
Non-contact activity should be managed in the same way as it would be on any other surface (IE
a hard/dry natural turf pitch or an indoor sports hall) so activity undertaken should be risk
assessed by the person in charge of the session (ie coach/teacher) as normal based on all
contributing factors.

For more information please visit
www.rfu.com/managingrugby/clubdevelopment/facilitiesandequipment/

or contact RFU Club Facilities Technical Manager, Ted Mitchell.

 

[Jacko]

Falcons are installing one up at Kingston Park. I thought I was going to get a run about on it for the PRL 7s, but due to some delays we've been moved to Darlington instead. Hopefully that'll slow them down a bit...

 

[MiniRef]

Very useful information, thanks.

 

[crossref]

that email came out a while ago and with it was a list of all the approved ptiches in England

 

[Phil E]

that email came out a while ago and with it was a list of all the approved ptiches in England

It wasn't a secret email then?
damn!

 

[Mr.Christopher]

Artificial pitches are a mixed blessing. In Quebec we play in a wide range of weather conditions. Winter is snow-covered, so our seasons start in April/May and the University teams finish off the season in early November.

Grass pitches are still dealing with snow melt in Spring, so turf pitches help us from destroying the grass right at the beginning of the season.

Grass is preferable all summer long... but many fields get bone dry and rock hard in July, so turn ends up being a decent option then.

And in late fall (October/November).... grass and ground can either be super wet (and subject to destruction from scrummaging), or wet-then-cold... otherwise known as "frozen".

Every university team that plays in the fall season does so on a Turf pitch. Balls bounce different than on grass, and that stupid black rubber gets in everything... but at least the field is consistent wherever you go.

Still, reffing on that stuff always bothers my lower back....

 

[buff]

Artificial pitches are a mixed blessing. In Quebec we play in a wide range of weather conditions. Winter is snow-covered, so our seasons start in April/May and the University teams finish off the season in early November.

Grass pitches are still dealing with snow melt in Spring, so turf pitches help us from destroying the grass right at the beginning of the season.

Grass is preferable all summer long... but many fields get bone dry and rock hard in July, so turn ends up being a decent option then.

And in late fall (October/November).... grass and ground can either be super wet (and subject to destruction from scrummaging), or wet-then-cold... otherwise known as "frozen".

Every university team that plays in the fall season does so on a Turf pitch. Balls bounce different than on grass, and that stupid black rubber gets in everything... but at least the field is consistent wherever you go.

Still, reffing on that stuff always bothers my lower back....

The local turf fields always leave my knees a little bit stiffer for a couple of days, the exception being that god-awful rug at Concordia. It usually leaves me hobbling.

 

[irishref]

Turf? That's what we burn for fuel in Ireland. Commonly known as peat. You play on it in Canada?

:ireland:

 

[buff]

Turf? That's what we burn for fuel in Ireland. Commonly known as peat. You play on it in Canada?

:ireland:

We either play in goo up to our ankles, or some form of concrete tinted green.

 

[Browner]

We either play in goo up to our ankles ........

Murrayfield ??!!?