Portable Irrigation for the Rugby World Cup
The historic city of Exeter can boast not only one of the top club sides in the country but also a university with elite sporting facilities. In total, five teams from three continents will touch down in Exeter during RWC 2015 and it will be Tonga that will use the University of Exeter as a Team Base during the tournament.
Challenge
All team bases were subject to a rigorous selection process. The facilities must meet international team training standards and be located on one site or within close proximity of one another.
The quality and condition of training pitches is essential to provide optimum conditions for training and safety.
Very stringent testing has been carried out by the IRU agronomist, assessing key parameters such as humidity, consistency, shock absorption, grip and wear resistance.
Solution
To assist in maintaining the playing surface at the required level, the university has decided to install two Long Reach Irrigators. This follows a successful demonstration recently carried out on site. The irrigators are driven by the on-site borehole pump which is rated at 7 bar.
The LRI can deliver water up to a distance of some 46 metres (92 metres in diameter), and can, therefore, cover a full sized pitch in two moves.
It is fully portable and self- contained, only requiring a water supply at the required pressure.
Results
The irrigators can also be used by the University for longer term pitch improvements and general irrigation requirements, plugged into the irrigation main when and where required.
Talk to the Experts
To find out more about any of our irrigation systems or to talk to us about designing a bespoke irrigation solution suitable for your sports ground, just call our friendly and knowledge team on 0117 954 8030.
