Trust the chain
Confidence in creating great products requires confidence in your supply chain from test tube to installation.
Sport Group, owner of Poligras, has transformed the sports surface’s industry by creating the only fully integrated global supply chain.
This game-changing capability ensures a level of quality control, customisation and innovation never achieved in the industry. We invest in every step of the process and combine the knowledge of our industry leading manufacturing and installation businesses, including Polytan, AstroTurf, Melos, APT.
By creating the industry’s only fully integrated global supply chain we deliver unmatched quality control and can launch game-changing innovations like the Poligras Tokyo GT hockey turf or our Big Stadium Hockey concept.
Hockey this weekend. Rugby next weekend.
24,000 fans give Big Stadium Hockey the thumbs up
Big Stadium Hockey is the biggest breakthrough in hockey since the ‘first turf’ at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Since Montreal, hockey has evolved successfully to match the increasing fluidity and perfection of hockey turfs, but the sport was forced out of the limelight to play in small hockey-specific venues. Now hockey can break free and give the players and fans the big stadium experience they deserve and hosts the flexibility they need.
Big Stadium Hockey is the result of a collaboration between England Hockey, Polytan and Permavoid. England Hockey wanted to build on the fan-success of the 2018 Women’s World Cup. To do this they needed a big stadium and a temporary turf solution good enough for elite hockey.
Sport Group’s Polytan loves making hockey better and loves a challenge. Working with England Hockey, Permavoid and the FIH over 8 months a new system was created – the world’s first elite level portable pitch system for hockey which could be in-and-out in days.
Big Stadium Hockey Highlights Include
First event was GBR VS NZL at the Stoop rugby stadium, in the FIH Hockey Pro League
12,000 fans, biggest hockey crowd since London 2012
Better fan, corporate and broadcast experience
The creation of a new FIH category - ‘Temporary Overlay Pitch Systems (TOPS)’
The system is environmentally friendly and reusable, it utilises existing venues, the turf is made from Green Technology and recycled materials are used in other elements of the system
Turf was transferred to a permanent home at Bisham Abbey
Record breaking crowds in Dublin
After the success of The Stoop, Big Stadium Hockey was used in Dublin, for the Tokyo Olympic Qualifying games between Ireland and Canada. Over 12,000 fans descended on Energia Park (Donnybrook stadium) over two consecutive evenings to cheer on Ireland, and because the stadium had broadcast facilities and lighting the matches were shown live at peak time in Ireland.
“The qualification of the Irish Women’s team in an incredible atmosphere at the Energia Park, a rugby stadium where a portable hockey pitch was installed, proves that this concept is a really good one for the promotion of hockey.”
The Stoop, London
Interview with Sally Munday, CEO of England Hockey.
The Stoop, London
The Black Sticks on portable pitch technology.
The Stoop, London
Time lapse and aerial photography of the transformation of The Stoop.
Energia Park, DUblin
A round-up of Big Stadium Hockey Dublin.
Energia Park, DUblin
Time lapse of the transformation of Energia Park.
Creating Climate Positive Hockey Turf
Interview with Stefan Sick, Vice President R&D and Technical Innovation, Sport Group
“Our vision is to develop for sport surfaces a totally green supply chain that enables us to create climate-positive products for turf and athletic tracks. Poligras Tokyo GT hockey turf is the first significant step in this transformation process.”
Partners with Hockey
We support the game around the world
For over 40 years Polytan and AstroTurf have been committed to global hockey. Hockey provides friendships, teamwork, excitement, health, competition, challenges, rewards and equal experiences for men and women. It is an important and dynamic game.
Our hockey partnerships allow us to support the game and stay connected to where the game is heading. Our hockey partnerships include:
Turf Responsibly
Maintain your turf for extra longevity
Maintenance of your hockey turf is essential to ensure quality performance for players, reduction of potential for injury and long-term durability.
With an appropriate, disciplined maintenance regime you can keep your turf in top condition and extend its life by up to 25%. This is good for the players, good for the environment and good for the return on investment.
“With an appropriate, disciplined maintenance regime you can keep your turf in top condition and extend its life by up to 25%.”
You will achieve the expected performance and longevity by following simple rules:
Keep it clean
Wear the correct footwear
Spread the usage away from high wear areas (e.g. train across the pitch to reduce usage of the goal circles)
Any damage should be assessed and repaired at the earliest possible opportunity
Call Polytan or AstroTurf first if any uncertainty exists on a planned or proposed activity that might raise cause for concern
A maintenance schedule should be implemented that covers off:
General housekeeping
Focus is on removing dirt, organic material and sharp objects.
Weekly Inspections
Focus on checking high-use areas such as penalty spots and short corner areas. Where possible organize training that distributes wear more evenly across the entire turf.
Seasonal
Do regular brushing/grooming to keep the pile upright and each season do a major groom to thoroughly clean the surface.
Watch out for algae
A wet turf is a good environment for algae to grow. The first sign is often flecks of ‘dirt-like’ material on the back of players socks. Algae can be identified by patches of brown or black areas on the surface particularly in white lines that quickly become slippery.
Algae growth can be removed during daily and weekly inspections. It is best to address algae growth early & often, rather than letting it develop into a bigger problem that is much harder to resolve.
For more information please contact Polytan, AstroTurf or your turf installer.
SMART Hockey Turf
Smart athletes run faster
Our SMART surfaces are the world’s only smart sport surface systems. With embedded magnet technology under the turf connecting to wearable sensors or smart phones worn by the athletes our SMART surfaces are literally ‘in touch’ with the athletes.
SMART offers effortless and precise data collection. The diagnostics software not only offers time measurements, but also important running parameters such as number of steps, step frequency and stride length.
Other facilities might have a technology overlay such as cameras, but our actual surfaces are smart which makes them unique and the most advanced in the industry. That means:
No set-up or dismantling necessary (suitable for daily use)
Can be used in any weather conditions
Vandalism protected
We are installing SMART surfaces in turfs and athletic tracks around the world.
The world’s first smart hockey turf
Polytan has installed hockey’s first ever SMART System as part of the new hockey facility at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
The system can test and record fitness levels and precise performance diagnostics down to the millisecond. The system consists of SMART timing gates that are embedded into the turf which connected to a wearable sensor or smart phone.
This turf might be the smartest hockey turf in the world. The turf is made-from-sugar-cane Poligras Tokyo GT, and features water harvesting, LED lights with hinging towers and Intelligent Play Pitch monitoring.