Top pitch ‘huge injury risk’
Blenheim’s soft and waterlogged top rugby pitch is not up to ‘‘premier’’ standard with $1.5 million budgeted to get it up to scratch. Lansdowne Park hosted three Tasman Mako matches during 2019 – and it was touch and go whether the Mitre 10 Cup semifinal could be played at the ground. The game was only signed off by officials two days before it was played. Tasman Mako chief executive Tony Lewis said they were aware the council had ‘‘worked tirelessly in Blenheim to get the Mako the best field they can possibly have’’. But, the field was now a health and safety risk. ‘‘If you take the Manawatu game this year, every time there was a scrum it would tear up, there’s a huge injury risk in that.’’ An assets and services report presented at a council committee meeting last week said the surface was ‘‘showing the effects of a slow recovery following two intense games’’. Following long periods of rain, the soil was prone to waterlogging, and divots, or ‘‘cavities left behind from soil flying up,’’ were common on the field, a report on the pitch said. Lewis said Blenheim hosting the Mitre 10 Cup semifinal in October was heavily debated. ‘‘You’re sitting down and you’re looking at the weather forecast, from a high performance team perspective the standard of the surface was in question – and if it had rained it could have been a real issue,’’ he said. ‘‘Luckily it didn’t rain and we got through, but it wasn’t of great quality for a semifinal.’’ Lewis said ‘‘under his watch’’ there would always be Tasman Mako matches played in Blenheim, so it was important to find a solution. Improving the pitch’s surface would also mean it could be used more, as this year it was preserved for the Mako, with local games shifted to other fields. ‘‘If they restore it in a good way, it means that people in Blenheim
and other sporting codes can use that pitch more than they ever have before,’’ Lewis said.
After discussions with Tasman Mako officials, the Marlborough District Council has contacted the New Zealand Turf Management Solutions to provide an assessment.
The council has budgeted $250,000 in the 2020/21 financial year and an extra $1,250,000 in 2023/24 for Lansdowne Park ‘‘turf works’’.
Nine years ago an industrydesigned drainage system was installed to ‘‘meet the requirements for hosting Rugby World Cup 2011 games’’, the council report said.
The west-side stand built in 2006 had added to the poor drainage of the playing surface by casting shadows and impeding the natural flow of surface water and wind flow. Additional swales and cut-off drains were constructed as part of the 2010 drainage system to help remove water from the playing surface and grandstand.
A gravel band drainage system was installed in 2018, a trenching system to remove the soil in lines and fill the void with gravel, allowing better water dispersal.
An inspection of the existing drainage system was recommended by the New Zealand Turf Management Solutions and more investigation into whether ground infrastructure was damaged by recent earthquakes.
The report provided a range of options to consider including a sand-based surface, a hybrid surface with sand, artificial grass and a staged upgrade of the current surface, costing between $955,000 and $1.9m. If a new surface option was needed the field would not be available for a season, the report said.
The report has been forwarded to the full council for consideration.