St Andrew’s School unveils SA’s first FIH-certified dry hockey field
St Andrew’s School unveiled a first of its kind in South Africa artificial hockey field on Tuesday evening. The FIH-certified dry hockey surface, manufactured by Polytan and installed by Trompie, is the same one that will be used at the Olympic Games in Paris later this year.
Ashley Appleby, Polytan’s International Sales Manager, commented: “Polytan is a close partner of the FIH and as such have been working on a dry hockey solution for the past few years. Today is the culmination of all the hard work as we celebrate the official opening of St Andrew’s School’s new certified FIH dry innovation hockey turf system.
“Poligras Paris GT Zero is also the world’s first carbon zero hockey pitch and is manufactured using sustainable bio-based raw materials.”
St Andrew’s Director of Hockey Trevor Raubenheimer said his players have been practicing on the surface for a month now. “It’s plays perfectly. I don’t have anything bad to say about it,” he said.
The pitch does not require water and is self-sustainable, and that played a big role in the decision to go with the Polytan surface, Raubenheimer added.
“You can water it, if you want. At the Olympics, they will water it in the morning and the night. That’s optional.
“Hockey is a winter sport. In winter, we have dew, so it won’t be necessary. When it’s rained in the morning, or even the previous evening, and we have trained the next day, it plays just like a water-based surface. I really can’t tell the difference.” In an area of low winter rainfall, like the Free State, that’s a big positive.
The Polytan surface has an important playing advantage over a water-based surface, Raubenheimer explained: “With a water-based surface, if it isn’t watered regularly, it is inconsistent. With this, it is very consistent, all over the pitch. I’m very happy with it.”
The only place where water is regularly used is where the ball is injected for penalty corners, with a five-litre bottle being left for the injector. “It does make it a little bit smoother [for the injector],” he said. “In terms of speed, it is the same.”
With a crowd of about 500 people in attendance, St Andrew’s played Queen’s College to give the pitch its official opening. They made a winning start, recording a 2-1 win over their opposition from Komani.
Saints will next be in action at the Bishops 175th Hockey Festival, while Queen’s visit Kearsney College to participate in the Founders Hockey Festival.
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