WATER WORLD
LABRADOR will have to get creative in their push for back-to-back Brisbane Hockey League premierships after flooding at the weekend damaged their Gold Coast Hockey Centre home.
Following the deluge across the region, both turf surfaces and surrounding grass areas were left under more than 60cm of water, meaning the eastern pitch – not the western one used during the 2018 Commonwealth Games – will need to be fully replaced.
The Tigerstix also lost two club buses and machinery due to stormwater damage, while debris has littered the grounds surrounding the pitches. Labrador vicepresident Bruce Curtis said the damage would require the club to be flexible as they prepared to commence preseason training.
The club may be forced to cancel their April 14 Round 1 BHL clash and train out of Runaway Bay or even as far as Murwillumbah, with replacement works predicted to conclude in April. “It will have an impact but we will still find a way to train,” Curtis said.
“It’s inconvenient but we had to do it (move home) for the Commonwealth Games as well when they were building the hockey centre.
“We’re hoping that it won’t impact our on-field performance or at most have a mild impact but I think the bigger impact will be on our ability to train.”
The hockey centre is equipped with special gates designed to seal the playing turf in the event of excessive rain however without a warning it was too late to protect the playing pitch.
The BHL season is likely to start in April.