Benefits of new turf

Tuesday, 02 February 2010

By PJ TAYLOR

• Howick and Pakuranga Times

RUB OF THE GREEN: Eighty-cap Black Sticks international Krystal Forgesson and Rob Baron at a training session on the new artificial turf at the Lloyd Elsmore Park Hockey Stadium. Times photo PJ Taylor.

New artificial turf worth $350,000 has been installed this summer on the number one pitch at the Lloyd Elsmore Park Hockey Stadium, home of Auckland Hockey Association and Howick Pakuranga Hockey Club.Both the Manukau and Auckland city councils have contributed $150,000 each through their respective long-term council community plan (LTCCP).The same installation project, costing the same amount of $350,000, will be performed on the number two pitch next summer.The rest of the funds is coming from contributions from community trusts such as the Perry Foundation, says Auckland Hockey Association executive manager Rob Baron.“We’re really grateful for the support they and the city councils have given,” says Baron. “As a sport at this level, we’re not guaranteed any government funding.”New floodlighting worth $85,000 has also been installed on the number one pitch. The turf, which is a darker shade of green than the eight-year-old surface it has just replaced, is a new quality carpet produced by Tiger Turf, of Penrose.When the Times visited the hockey stadium last week, Auckland age-group academy teams were training on it and enjoying the smooth and consistent rub of the green.Baron says thousands of hockey players and touch footballers are already benefiting from using the next generation in artificial turf technology.

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Benefits of new turf