“This is a first, not just for the Vikings or rugby league but for sport as a whole. The i-pitch at Stobart Stadium Halton will modernise the game and create a fantastic match day experience. Our members and visitors will be able to see more games, it will create a pathway for our young players and it will be utilised as a community resource.”
Steve O'Connor - Widnes Vikings Chairman
Widnes Vikings' Stobart Stadium Halton is equipped with Desso iDNA artificial grass. The Vikings train and play on their so-called ‘i-pitch’ when entering Super League 2012. The RFL worked with the club and Desso Sports Systems to ensure the pitch meets the required standard for rugby league.
Keep on the grass
Steve O'Connor, Widnes Vikings Chairman: "It is my vision for people to be able to ‘keep on the grass' after the game and enjoy community and family/fun activities. It is absolute nonsense to have a stadium and not be able to access the pitch for 90% of the time," states O’Connor. "Denis Betts and the team have been training regularly on a similar surface over the last few weeks and we have received some great feedback."
Players speak highly of Desso iDNA "i-pitch"
Shaun Briscoe, Widnes Vikings Vice-Captain"I must admit at first I was pretty sceptical, after previous similar pitches I've played on, and I wasn't looking forward to it. But, once you start trying it out, it goes out of your mind and it feels like a normal surface. When you land on it and or slide on it, it reacts the same as grass.”
...as do coaches and directors
Denis Betts, Widnes Vikings Coach: “Twelve months ago we were running up huge phone bills, trying to find a pitch to train on because our own stadium was unavailable, but twelve months on there’s not a single puddle or muddy patch in sight and the i-pitch will always look like that, regardless of the weather conditions which will only benefit our training schedule.”
“(...) We managed to do an hour-and-a-half of full contact and afterwards it didn’t look like we’d been on it. (...) It’s a contact sport and we don’t believe injuries are any more likely to happen on this surface than they would on grass. It’s a true surface, there are no divots, so in many ways it’s better.”
Paul Cullen, Widnes Vikings Director of Rugby: “This is a sporting revolution. It’s bigger than rugby league. It’s about how clubs can generate funds and play over a 12-month period. We can train and play at the same venue in perfect conditions – apart from the weather, of course – all year round.”
Watch the very first Super League match on artificial grass live, Friday 3 February on SKY Sports 1 at 7.30pm and let us know what you think about the pitch via Twitter @dessosports (include #widnesipitch in your message).
Desso iDNA: a step towards HydroTec technology
Until now, no artificial turf producer has succeeded in imitating the hydrophile (water-retaining) characteristics of natural grass. Such characteristics enhance the playing pleasure on a natural surface.
Ask any rugby player what kind of field they prefer to play on. The answer: a tight, green grass surface that is a bit damp. With its HydroTec research project, Desso is focused on the technological breakthrough that will make a 100 % true-to-nature experience possible on artifical turf.
More reactions on the Desso iDNA "i-picth"
