Pitch Perfect

The summer is usually a time for holidays and relaxing, but that is not the case for Ulster Rugby’s Head Groundsman James Laird. The 26 year-old is hard at work preparing the pitch for the new season – a process that starts as soon as the final home game of the previous year is over:

“We begin by scarifying, which pulls up the thatch from the pitch bed,” reveals James. “Then we carry out hollow coring, which takes out small cores. These are then collected before we top dress. This year we applied 100 tonnes of HS masters sand, this is brushed into the core holes which gives us better drainage and levels any divots or uneven areas. Some parts we have to then fill by hand with a sand and soil mix to ensure that the surface is as level as possible. Then we overseed the pitch – sometimes we do this two or three times over the course of the summer.”

James is a graduate of Greenmount College and has been working at Kingspan Stadium for the past four years. His goal is a playing surface to match the new state-of-the-art surroundings of the redeveloped stadium. Once the business of preparing the pitch is complete it is then all about maintenance:

James says: “We cut it every other day or every third day. We use both a cylinder mower and a rotary flail mower.  We use an irrigation system during drought or dry spells until new seed is established, We also verti-drain regularly. This spikes the ground with solid tines, three quarters of an inch thick and from three to 12 inches deep. This process relieves compaction, improves water infiltration and encourages deeper root development,  meaning the pitch will be stronger in the winter months.”



In recent years James has had to contend with the redevelopment of the stadium and all the challenges that has brought to pitch maintenance.

“Its all about spending time and getting the pitch in as good a nick as possible so that when the harsh winter weather comes the pitch is strong and holds up.”

The pitch will be used by the Ulster team as well as clubs, schools and women’s teams. Time invested now in creating a top surface is time well spent.