Basingstoke Hockey Club sports UK’s first dry turf
Ashley Appleby on why the Poligras Paris GT zero turf is a game-changer for the UK
The Poligras Paris GT zero turf which has been developed for the next Olympic Games is coming to the UK. The Paris turf, with its hattrick of certifications – Global One, Global Dry Innovation and National Category 3 is a world first. Polytan’s Ashley Appleby, explains what these certifications mean and why they signal such a transformative innovation for the UK hockey market.
On the hockey turf industry in the UK…
The hockey turf market in the UK is big and thriving.
In the last 10 years England Hockey has hosted many world level events, and hockey is a sport that TeamGB have performed well in at an Olympic level. That has a positive knock-on impact for schools, colleges, universities and clubs.
The sport is 10-15 years ahead of cricket and football in terms of gender representation and hockey turfs have the added benefit of being suitable for multi-sport use – they can lend themselves to football, PE, even a bit of tennis, which allows facility owners to optimise their investment.
On the world’s first carbon zero hockey turf…
The Poligras Paris GT zero turf is amazing. The Sport Group chemists and engineers alongside our turf specialists at Polytan have developed something pioneering. It is the world’s first carbon zero hockey pitch which supports Paris2024’s goal to be a carbon-neutral Games, as well as a growing movement amongst the global hockey community to embrace sustainable hockey.
On FIH Global One Certification…
The second reason the turf is so pioneering is that it uses Turf Glide technology.
This innovation helps to facilitate increased ball roll and ball speed across the turf to make it slick and fast for the professional game and ensures the pitch met FIH Global One certification standards. It also helps to reduce skin friction and abrasion. When the turf is lightly irrigated it becomes a super-fast hockey pitch which is exactly what the professional hockey players want.
“Basingstoke Hockey Club will have the Paris2024 pitch - the world’s greenest synthetic turf - in the iconic blue we first developed for London2012.”
On achieving FIH Global Dry innovation certification…
So, we knew that the turf performed at the very top level using reduced water, but our aim was to see what was possible when dry.
Working closely with the University of Ghent, an FIH test partner, we were able to determine how little water the pitch actually requires. The current requirement for Global One certification is 1 litre per square metre but our testing showed that the Paris GT zero hockey pitch met the ball roll criteria for a Global One dry pitch. This means that it performs at club level when dry, and elite level when lightly irrigated.
This wet / dry crossover gives hockey the best of both worlds and marks another a big step forward for sustainable hockey.
On National Category 3 certification…
Not satisfied with two FIH Global Certifications, Michael Pajak and his turf management team at Polytan suspected that the Paris turf could answer another question being raised by the hockey market, this time specifically in the UK where sand-dressed pitches dominate. When tested, we were able to prove that the Paris turf fulfilled all the criteria needed for National Category 3 certification which is the requirement for National League hockey matches.
On why this is a game-changer for hockey in the UK…
Sand-dressed turfs are popular in the UK, but they are using technology that’s 10-15 years old.
Rather than upgrading to a new sand-dressed pitch, schools and clubs now have the option to install the Paris GT zero pitch which meets the National Category 3 certification they need, but the turf ‘upgrades’ to an Olympic-level pitch when there’s a bit of atmospheric moisture…which there is a lot of in the UK.
The massive silver lining is that every time there is some dew or rain, these facilities are going to have an Olympic quality turf.
On the first dry hockey pitch installation in the UK…
Basingstoke Hockey Club will be the first club in the UK to upgrade to the Paris turf. This is a ‘dry installation’ as the pitch doesn’t need to be irrigated.
Because they are committed to sustainable hockey, they saw the benefits of the wet/dry crossover performance. Wes Bugg, a leading sports facilities consultant at Surfacing Standards Ltd has been instrumental in getting the project to this stage and our experienced installation partner, AS Sports will be laying the 7,500 square meter surface for them early in 2024.
So, they’ll have the Paris2024 pitch - the world’s greenest synthetic turf - in the iconic blue we first developed for London2012. That’s pretty cool.
On the impact of the Paris turf on Basingstoke Hockey Club…
Basingstoke Hockey Club’s roots run deep. Founded in the early 1950s, the club boasts 180+ players which allows it to regularly field 6 women’s teams, 6 men’s teams, 5 youth teams and a mixed team.
The new playing surface will be installed at the club’s Down Grange Sports Complex, and will be transformative to those players who range from 6 to 60+ years. The club has always prided itself on nurturing a thriving junior section through links with many of the local schools, a dedicated coaching team and top-class facilities and the new turf is a great step for this forward-thinking club.
On the future of the Paris turf in the UK…
It’s fair to say that a lot of eyes are on the Basingstoke Hockey Club project. We’re having lots of really positive conversations especially at a university level. We’re also speaking to Hockey England and Hockey Ireland about dry hockey and the benefits of this next gen turf, so interest has been piqued at a governing body level too.
On who to contact if you are interested in upgrading your UK facility…
I’d love to hear from you if you are in the market for a new hockey turf in the UK and want to future-proof your investment. You can drop me a line directly using the form below.