Dry turf technology brings game-changing hockey opportunities to Southern Africa
Three Poligras Paris GT zero installations in Namibia and South Africa
The Poligras Paris GT zero dry hockey turf is setting a new standard for hockey in Southern Africa, where water conservation and sustainability are crucial. This state-of-the-art surface is designed to deliver top-tier performance in both wet and dry conditions, making it ideal for regions where water resources are scarce.
Even with minimal atmospheric moisture—such as light rain, frost, or dew—the turf maintains its Olympic-level quality, ensuring athletes can perform at their best. When dry, the turf performs better than sand.
Polytan’s partner in Southern Africa, Trompie Sport, recently installed Poligras Paris GT zero turfs at Walvis Bay Gymnasium Primary School (Namibia), St Andrew’s School in Bloemfontein, and Transvalia High School in Vanderbijlpark (South Africa). The facilities bring Olympic-quality turf to young players, help grow the game, and make the sport more sustainable.
Namibia Turf Opening
A sustainable step forward for hockey
Poligras Paris GT zero, the official turf of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, is FIH certified for wet and dry hockey. Its innovative Turf Glide technology reduces friction and enhances ball speed and smoothness on dry surfaces, supporting the fast-paced, skillful nature of modern hockey, without heavy irrigation. It’s ideal for Southern Africa’s varied climate, with its scorching hot days and cold nights, as minimal atmospheric moisture (light rain, frost, or dew) brings the turf up to Olympic standards.
Sebastiaan Kock, High-Performance Coach at Transvalia High School, praised the innovation:
“A turf unparalleled in its excellence, designed to perform optimally in both dry and wet conditions.”
Transvalia High School
St Andrew’s School leads the charge
On March 20, 2024, St Andrew’s School in Bloemfontein became the first facility in Africa to inaugurate a dry hockey turf, marking a significant milestone for hockey in water-scarce regions.
Ashley Appleby, International Sales Manager at Polytan, highlighted the significance:
“Dry hockey is crucial to ensuring the sport’s sustainability, especially in regions like South Africa, where water resources are limited. The Poligras Paris GT zero turf allows schools like St Andrew’s to maintain elite play standards while embracing environmentally responsible practices.”
With 380 players across 33 junior and 10 senior teams, St Andrew’s has a rich history of hockey. The new turf, installed on what was once a cabbage patch, enables the school to nurture talent without the prohibitive costs associated with irrigated fields.
St Andrews Opening
Transvalia High School
Walvis Bay Gymnasium Primary School and Transvalia High School champion water conservation
Namibia, a country facing prolonged droughts, is setting a benchmark for water-saving sports facilities with its installation at Walvis Bay Gymnasium Primary School. Nestled between the ocean and a vast desert, the school’s Poligras Paris turf facilitates hockey development in one of the driest regions on earth—the ultimate example of ‘dry hockey.’
Transvalia High School, near Johannesburg, is the latest to adopt Poligras Paris GT zero technology. Linda Heymans, Transvalia’s Hockey Director, expressed her enthusiasm: “Our new turf is just something else! The ball travels more evenly. Slaps and hits are much smoother. I have had the pleasure to umpire and play a few games on it, and I just love it.”
“Our new turf is just something else! The ball travels more evenly. Slaps and hits are much smoother. I just love it.”
Turf Glide technology makes dry hockey ‘smooth’
A defining feature of Poligras Paris GT zero is its Turf Glide technology. This new and proprietary friction-reducing technology allows the turf to meet the FIH Innovation standards for dry hockey.
Turf Glide ensures the Paris turf outperforms sand-based systems when dry, while only requiring minimal moisture for elite hockey. In many cases, natural moisture like light rain, fog, or dew is enough to elevate the turf to Olympic-level performance. This allows facilities to install the turf without an irrigation system, with performance enhanced naturally by ambient moisture.
Elevating the game with Trompie Sport
Polytan’s collaboration with Trompie Sport has been pivotal in bringing dry turf technology to Southern Africa. Trompie Sport’s expertise in sports infrastructure and understanding of local environmental needs ensure successful installations that meet both high-performance standards and environmental demands.
For Southern Africa, where hockey's popularity is growing, these installations represent investments in the sport’s future. Schools and communities can now offer professional-level facilities without the high costs of water-dependent turfs, making world-class hockey accessible across the region.
Transvalia High School
St Andrews
A new chapter in sustainable hockey
The introduction of FIH-certified dry turfs is opening new doors for hockey in Africa. Although dry hockey is still in its early stages, over 50 Poligras Paris turfs have already been installed worldwide. This technology presents a promising future for countries eager to adopt sustainable solutions, allowing hockey to flourish even in water-stressed environments. For hockey nations where rain and moisture is more plentiful, such as the UK and the Netherlands, Poligras Paris GT zero represents an opportunity to have Olympic level turf all season with little to no additional irrigation.