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Wellington City Council (WCC) has revealed that its new artificial turf sports fields are having an overwhelming positive impact on winter sports - resulting in fewer cancelled games and more training and playing time.

The Council has revealed that the new fields have also taken the pressure off its grass fields, allowing the Council to keep them in better condition for weekend games. The Council quotes the example of grass fields that had to cope with six games a weekend before the installation of artificial turfs now staging just three games.

A WCC media release explains "clubs in both rugby union and football, and at all levels, are getting more time on the pitch. Teams are even training in early mornings with some competition games, especially for junior grades, being played on Friday nights.

"This can be a bonus for parents, who then do not have to get up early for an 8am kick-off on Saturday morning."

WCC acting Manager of Sportsfields Operations, Julian Emeny adds "the artificial turfs have really changed the face of all sports in Wellington.

"The turf at Wellington College is a good example. When it was a grass field, because it was fairly wet and boggy, it was being used two hours a week. Now it's being used 100 hours a week."

The first all-weather turf was installed at Nairnville Park in Khandallah in 2009. Since then, artificial fields have been put in at Te Whaea in Newtown, Wakefield Park in Island Bay and Wellington College, a partnership in which the Council and college shared the costs. The turf is used for college and community sports.

WCC now has plans to install others at St Patrick's College Kilbirnie (a partnership project), due to open in April 2013, and Alex Moore Park in Johnsonville, due to open in April 2014.

Wellington Rugby Football Union's manager of amateur rugby Will Caccia-Birch says the artificial fields have been "hugely significant", providing certainty in delivering games and helping in player recruitment with some clubs reporting 25% growth this season.

Caccia-Birch says the artificial turfs allowed 32 games of senior and junior rugby to be played on one field in just three days, adding " this season we have yet to make any blanket cancellations across all grades.

"We are also able to get some night rugby in on Thursdays and Fridays for both junior and senior age grades, which helps alleviate pressure on grounds over the weekend."

Capital Football Game Development Manager Cliff Bowden says all-weather fields mean better quality training and higher skill levels but the best thing is fewer cancellations.

During one week in July 2011, two artificial sportsfields at Wakefield Park were used for 134 hours - more than two natural grass fields at Wakefield Park managed in five months the previous winter.

Bowden concludes "juniors and women's football have benefited greatly.

"Traditionally, games for juniors have been played Saturday morning (now) at Nairnville, games are now played right throughout the day from 9am to 6pm plus Friday nights."

2nd April 2012 - NEW ARTIFICIAL TURF PITCH FOR WELLINGTON COLLEGE

5th August 2010 - CITY OF WELLINGTON OPENS ARTIFICIAL SPORTSFIELD

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