New turf lights up action
Blade Rapira passes the ball to his Marist team-mate Malatai Malatai during the Wairarapa-Bush senior-A club match against Gladstone
on the new artificial turf at Trust House Memorial Park in Masterton.
It may have been on an artificial surface but there was nothing fake about the action, or indeed atmosphere, at Trust House Memorial Park at the weekend.
The new $2.1 million state-of-the-art artificial turf played host to its first rugby match on Friday night and then football the following evening.
Wairarapa-Bush Rugby chief executive officer Tony Hargood says feedback from players and coaches involved is that the turf is a triumph.
They were sentiments echoed by supporters with the crowd on Friday evening – for the senior-A club match between Marist and Gladstone – one of the biggest in many years. There was a crowd of around 500 for the Central League football match on Saturday night between Keinzley Ag Wairarapa United and Stop Out.
Despite last weekend’s events the new turf is being officially opened tomorrow night when the Hurricanes Development takes on the Chiefs Development. The match is believed to the first professional game of rugby on an artificial turf in New Zealand.
Tony Hargood says the lights will be at full beam for the match and spectators who were at either of last weekend’s games will notice a “huge difference” he also said that the lights were only running about half their capacity last weekend.
Meanwhile, former All Blacks captain and coach Sir Brian Lochore has been given the honours of cutting the ribbon at tomorrow nights opening
The ribbon will be held by promising youngsters Tui Dugan (football) and Stormy Huirama (rugby). Duggan is a Year 8 pupil at Masterton Intermediate School, Huirama Year 7 at South End School.
Kick off in the Hurricanes and Chiefs Development match is at 7.30pm.
Gates open at 5pm.
Tickets are available from Eventfinda, PGG Wrightson, Wairarapa i-Sites and Carterton Events Centre.
Walt Dickson – Stuff
