‘Lay and play’ solution to fix National Stadium turf woes

SINGAPORE — After months of keeping it under wraps, the Sports Hub has finally unveiled the new turf solution for the National Stadium pitch, which came under heavy criticism when the grass failed to recover from several non-sports events that were staged on the pitch after installation last year.

The difference between the new turf system — called Eclipse Stabilised Turf (EST) — and the previous Desso Grassmaster hybrid turf is that the EST can be rolled up and replaced whenever needed. 

SportsHub Pte Ltd (SHPL) CEO Philippe Collin-Delavaud assured that the EST can be covered over short periods for concerts without sustaining damage.

The Frenchman also added there is always another set of the Australian warm-season grass Bermuda Celebration, which is grown at local nursery TEHC International, on standby to replace the National Stadium’s entire pitch if necessary.

“If there is an extended period where the field has to be covered, we will use our second pitch,” said Mr Delavaud. “It’s a question of being reactive and having the flexibility to be ready for all kinds of cases.”

Referring to the unsuccessful Desso GrassMaster pitch, Mr Delavaud admitted the SHPL should have taken more time to select the best pitch system.

“We would have preferred to be able to do it one year before, but what is done, is done,” he added. “(We now) have a permanent solution in terms that is not only technical but the right partner who have set up a branch here.”

SHPL said previously the company would bear the cost of replacing the Desso Grassmaster, but Mr Delavaud declined to disclose the amount.

To install the new turf, SHPL had to improve the field’s irrigation system and acquire additional growth lights for the grass, fans to help air movement and new field covers. Moisture and temperature probes were also installed to measure and manage the different micro-climates in the stadium.

Melbourne-based firm HG Sports Turf, which specialises in the construction of premium sports fields, has been contracted for three years and will supply and install the turf in time for the coming SEA Games from June 5 to 16. Its managing director Hamish Sutherland said the EST had been successfully used at the recent Asian Cup football championship in Australia, last year’s Cricket World Cup and the 2006 Asian and Commonwealth Games in Doha and Melbourne, respectively.

Mr Sutherland said that over the past 15 years, the company has handled turf problems around the world that are similar to those faced by the National Stadium. Those stadiums were also designed as multipurpose facilities with retractable dome roofs and seating that “put a lot of pressure on the turf”. 

“All of this creates a challenging environment to manage the turf within,” he said. “Examples would be shade, humidity and stagnant air. The probes (the Sports Hub purchased) will monitor the soil moisture and temperature, and it is critical that we have this information to maintain the turf in the 18 microclimates that exist in the stadium ... so as to produce a consistent surface for players.”

Mr Sutherland also noted that the EST turf at arenas in Australia, including those used for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, are still in use. He said: “We replace the turf at (these stadiums) because they are so frequently used. It is not just sports that are played, they have concerts ... and we have a durable system that can withstand wear and tear.”

Today (May 19), Singapore SEA Games football players Adam Swandi, Irfan Fandi and Ho Wai Loon, had a brief kickabout on one-tenth of the pitch that was laid out for a media viewing.

Said Singapore national football coach Bernd Stange: “Good players can handle the ball on any pitch, but now, the Sports Hub has provided us with a top-class pitch that is of an international standard.”

The National Stadium will also stage the semi-finals and final of the SEA Games men’s football competition. Irfan said: “I don’t know how to explain it, but I just feel very comfortable on this pitch.”

Eclipse Stabilised Turf fact file
— Patented by HG Sports Turf, it is used in top venues including Auckland’s Eden Park and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
— Synthetic fibres are tufted into an open-weave backing, top-dressed with sand and planted with natural grass.
— Pitch installation for the National Stadium comprises 8,000sqm, or 800 rolls of EST, each weighing about 750kg. They can be transported from the nursery to the stadium on 40 flatbed trucks within 48 hours.