THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL GRASS COMPLETELY BLUE HOCKEY PITCH IN BENELUX
Artificial grass, Artificial grass for hockey, Artificial sports grass
Hockey is normally played on green artificial grass, but not for much longer if “de Hondsrug” hockey club in Zuidlaren, the Netherlands, has its way. In September 2010 a completely blue hockey pitch will be brought into use, a semi-water-based pitch of the Domo® Hockey Xtreme type.
There is already one in Valencia in Spain. Zuidlaren local authority in the Netherlands will now be getting the second blue hockey pitch in the world. Playing hockey on blue artificial grass has many advantages, according to chairman of the Zuidlaren hockey club Marcel Pruijt. “A white ball on a blue pitch is easiest to follow, so the players can follow the play better, the crowd can too, and play is clearer on TV and in artificial light.”
Hockey matches must be played on a green pitch according to the regulations of the Royal Dutch Hockey Association. HC De Hondsrug has been granted an exemption however. According to Marcel Pruijt playing hockey on a blue pitch is the future.,,People are already considering having the hockey tournament at the Olympic Games in 2012 played on blue pitches.”
From September 2010 hockey club Hondsrug in Zuidlaren will be the first hockey club in Benelux to play on a blue Domo® Hockey Xtreme pitch. This Domo® Sports Grass pitch is a semi-water-based pitch. Semi-water-based pitches are grass mats with a high fibre density. These pitches are built on a dynamic substructure, they offer excellent ball roll due to the higher density, they do not stress muscles and joints, and are therefore ideally suitable for technically high quality play. The player can easily get the hockey stick under the ball because the ball lies perfectly on top of the grass and no longer in the sand.
