Applying Turf Agronomy principles at Rugby VIC Centre of Excellence

Location :

La Trobe Sports Park, Bundoora, VIC

Client :

Pitchcraft Field of Play Services

Year :

2024

Sector :

Natural Turf | Rugby | Condition Assessment

The Rugby Victoria Centre of Excellence, nestled within the La Trobe University Sports Park, is a premier venue for rugby training and matches. Maintaining top-tier turf quality at this venue is vital for optimal surface performance and player safety.

Following construction completion at this site the SPORTENG Field of Play Team provided Pitchcraft Field of Play Services with a Turf Management Plan (TMP), which will serve as a blueprint for achieving and sustaining turf excellence at this venue into the future.

Pitchcraft were engaged to undertake the establishment maintenance at this field and have achieved a high-quality turf surface during this phase. The TMP will be provided during the handover of these fields to the new turf maintenance team to ensure the elite-level maintenance initially provided by Pitchcraft is continued.

THE CHALLENGE

Rugby is a sport that involves rigorous field use, including high-intensity training and matches. Therefore, maintaining a pristine playing surface across the entire year can be a challenge for turf maintenance teams.

The elevated wear and tear resulting from the sport, along with seasonal variations, demands meticulous attention to turf health to create a resilient and strong surface.

THE SOLUTION

The TMP provides a comprehensive approach to turf management, which includes:

Routine maintenance practices: rigorous mowing, fertilising, aeration, and overseeding schedules tailored to seasonal demands.
Annual renovation programs: annual spring renovations to restore turf health, coring, scarifying, topdressing, and turf replacement as needed.
Weed, pest, and disease control: proactive measures using turf-specific herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides to prevent and address issues promptly.
Irrigation management: strategic scheduling aligned with field usage and shared water supply constraints, optimising plant health and surface firmness.

SPORTENG turf agronomist assessing root growth and health on rugby pitch.

woman on a natural turf field conducting test on turf

SPORTENG turf agronomist testing the surface hardness of the field using Clegg Hammer device.

SPORTENG turf agronomist measuring surface levels using 3m straight edge.

THE RESULTS

Our comprehensive approach ensures that the long-term quality of the surface is maintained well into the future. The TMP guides activities to create optimal playing surfaces that consistently meet high-quality standards and support elite-level training and matches.

Through enhanced maintenance practices, we ensure surface durability and resilience, enabling year-round playability and minimal downtime.

Player safety and performance are paramount, with reduced injury risks on stable, well-maintained surfaces, fostering player confidence and optimal performance.

Efficient resource utilisation is achieved through precise irrigation management and targeted turf nutrition practices, which maximise efficiency while minimising environmental impact.

Transparent reporting, including detailed record-keeping and regular updates, facilitates transparency and accountability, ensuring ongoing optimisation and improvement of our turf agronomy services.

By partnering with SPORTENG for t urf agronomy services, Rugby Victoria Centre of Excellence ensures that its playing surfaces remain at the pinnacle of performance, setting the stage for athletic excellence and player development.

Double ring infiltrometer for infiltration testing and Clegg Hammer for surface hardness testing

Measuring surface water infiltration into the profile.

Reading of surface infiltration shows excellent profile drainage.

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