Introduction
The type and amount of work required will vary considerably, so assess your individual needs accordingly.
High specification, sand profile type pitches which are expected to have a high carrying capacity will require a higher maintenance input than a general rugby pitch which is expected to be used for one game per week, weather permitting.
Mowing
This will continue on a regular basis until growth starts to slow down. Premier rugby pitches will typically be mown to 25 - 50mm in height, whilst most club pitches will typically be between 37 and 75mm. Boxing off the clippings will be a common feature of premier pitches, whilst on most other club pitches the clippings will just be let fly.
Important and televised games may also be double cut, both up and down the pitch between the goal posts and across the pitch between the touchlines.
A mowing strip of 0.5m width, or so, is typically maintained over the area of the line markings. The height of cut is usually at 25mm for this strip. This then allows line marking to take place more easily and provides for a better defined and presented line.
Presentation
This can include chain harrowing on lower quality pitches, to drag brushing and sweeping the surface on higher quality pitches.
As mowing frequency decreases over the winter months, the pitch presentation operations will become more important - especially for higher profile games and those that are televised.
Leaves can be a problem on some pitches which are located near to trees. Clearance of these leaves will be required not only to make the pitch playable, but also to reduce the chance of disease attack. A machine such as the Amazone Groundkeeper will help to produce a clear surface which is well groomed.
Divoting / Repairs
After each match the pitch should be divoted. Wherever possible, the divots should be trodden back down and replaced by hand immediately the game has finished. Depending upon the level and intensity of play, this can take up to a day or two to complete in its entirety. Realistically, such levels of detail can only be achieved on premier pitches.
Lower standard pitches will usually have to make do with a short spell of divoting by the groundstaff, with a chain harrow (smooth side down) being used to finish off and tidy up the surface, with excess divots being removed from amongst the links of the chain harrow.
Areas that may have been exposed to scrums may need particular attention after a match.
One potential repair job relates to the consequences of some rugby players wearing vaseline "which gets on the pitch and after a few weeks a lot of yellow patches appear on the grass where the oil in the vaseline has killed the grass". This has been reported for rugby league games and may not be a problem for the more manly rugby union game!
The use of training ladders for practice can result in a large amount of damage to a pitch, especially if the turf is relatively soft and wet. The amount of repair work to such areas can be considerable. Ideally the use of training ladders will not take place on a match pitch.
The use of tackle bags (weighing some 100 kg) can also add to the amount of wear on a pitch.
Line Marking
Prior to each match the pitch should be overmarked to complete the finishing touches to a well presented pitch and one which complies with the laws of the game. A typical width of line is 75mm.
Where pitches are being maintained to a lower quality, then overmarking of just the worn parts of the lines might be carried out.
The whole of the pitch will be overmarked maybe once a week on these types of pitches : It is unlikely that the markings will be retained for much longer than one week in some areas, as winter rain will wash away the markings quite rapidly.
During the latter part of the playing season when vegetative growth becomes reduced and in some cases non-existent, there will probably be a need to provide additional line marking with a greater consistency of material.
Disease Control / Black Layer
Fusarium patch disease can be a problem on heavily maintained areas which are enclosed within stadiums. In such circumstances, light levels and air flow are reduced, increasing the likelihood of a disease attack. Chemical application will most likely be the only realistic control method.
Leaf spot on perennial ryegrass and smooth-stalked meadow grass might also be evident during warm, wet autumn weather.
Black layer can be a problem on poorly aerated sandy pitches. Regular and appropriate aeration can assist in solving this problem.
Pest Control
The most likely pest damage will be from earthworm casting with the casts contributing to a muddy surface if they are present in sufficient quantity.
Surface casting will not generally be as much of a problem on rugby pitches as it can be on football pitches due to the longer grass that is typically present on a rugby pitch. Dispersion of the casts, when dry, through brushing or chain harrowing may be necessary. The chemicals which are currently available, only appear to give limited control for a short period of time and would most likely only be used on higher quality pitches.
The most likely problem from high earthworm activity is that of 'capping' of any drainage sand-gravel slits that may be present.
A slight acidification of the surface may be considered, however, both perennial ryegrass and smooth-stalked meadow grass sward thin out with acidification. The sort of low pH levels which can be sustained by fine turf swards are not suitable for rugby pitches, as the dominant grasses for rugby pitches would not grow to any extent in soils of low pH.
Leatherjackets can be a serious pest by feeding on the grass roots over the autumn and winter period. If they are present they will probably need to be controlled with the use of chemicals, typically in October or November when the grub is large enough to absorb the dose and yet not too large that the thick cuticle of the grub effectively resists the chemical.
Aeration
Whenever soil conditions are suitable, a regular programme of aeration, usually slit tining, will invariably be carried out.
Where there is deep seated compaction the use of a deep solid tine spiker (e.g. Vertidrain) and or deep spike for injecting air into the lower parts of the soil profile may wish to be considered.
If soil conditions are too wet, then aeration will reduce the drainage potential of the rugby pitch through both smearing from the tines and compaction from the operating unit; this can be quite significant in some cases.
If in doubt it is best not to undertake mechanical operations which could lead to a deterioration of the playing surface.
The need to undertake regular slit tine aeration over the playing season has been questioned for specific circumstances. Regular slit tine aeration, in unsuitable ground conditions, can result in a reduction in ground cover and water infiltration rates. This would result in a detrimental effect on the playing quality of a rugby pitch and is the opposite to what is expected from the operation. This underlines the need to continually question the reason for undertaking tasks and to consider if they are actually doing more harm than good in individual situations.
Rolling
On most pitches this would not be carried out over the autumn and winter period.
This operation has also recently been reviewed in a recent study that identifies rolling as an inadvisable practice, "except perhaps at the very beginning and end of the season when the surface is firm and grass growth vigorous".
On high sand specification pitches, where stability and erosion can be a problem, especially as vegetation content starts to be reduced, then a light rolling of the surface, under suitable rootzone moisture conditions, can help to maintain rootzone and grass root cohesion for a bit longer.
Irrigation
For the vast majority of pitches this will not be carried out over the majority of the playing season. However, for premier pitches with a high sand content and especially those with undersoil heating, irrigation will be required to prevent the rootzone from drying out too much. The rootzone can also get too warm from using the undersoil heating and irrigation is consequently used to cool the rootzone, helping to reduce potential damage to the grass plant.
Iron
To improve the colour of the sward, especially for televised or important games, an application of a liquid iron can be given to produce that darker green effect. An application rate of 4-6 g/m² might be considered suitable.
Overuse of iron on rugby pitch swards, which are predominantly composed of perennial ryegrass, will lead to a thinning of the grass and deterioration in overall sward quality.
An application of liquid iron, which may be from a home made sulphate of iron solution or a manufactured liquid iron, would most likely only be applied to premier pitches, due primarily to presentational demands.
Frost Protection
This can only realistically be achieved on premier pitches due to the expense involved.
One method employed to provide some form of frost protection is to install undersoil heating, although during the winter this encourages soft growth at a time when most grasses are effectively in a dormant stage of their life cycle. In addition the roots and rootzone can be warm and frost free, yet the surface leaf blades can be frosted resulting in a turf which is relatively easy to tear.
Coverage of the pitch with a special surface membrane can also be considered as a method of protecting the surface layer from frost.
During the winter, the air temperatures within stadiums can be slightly lower than outside of them.
Soil temperatures on a shaded part of a pitch can be significantly lower than areas of the pitch which are exposed to full sunlight, with reports showing that an average of 5°C difference can typically occur. Shaded parts of a pitch during the winter might conceivably be frozen, or be very close to frozen, for a considerable period of time if protection methods are not initiated.
Fertiliser Application
It might be desirable to apply a fertiliser during February, particularly if a high sand content pitch is being managed and if the pitch is located in the South of England.
If a pitch comes out of use during May then an earlier fertiliser application in April (which would be the month when most applications of a spring fertiliser take place) may be considered to enable nutrients to be readily available in the soil solution by the time renovation commences.
Weed Control
If a selective herbicide has been given following the renovation period and this has proved to be ineffective, then September is usually another good time to spray again.
At the end of the playing season when spring growth has been taking place for a few weeks and it is observed that growth is becoming strong and vigorous, then a selective herbicide might be applied if needed. Several weeks should be left before carrying out overseeding as part of the renovation programme to ensure that there is no harmful chemical residue present which might reduce the ability of the grass seed to germinate.
Algae can be a problem on some pitches during the spring, especially those which are subject to a lot of shade throughout the autumn and winter months. This can usually be removed by scarification or similar types of operations.
Top-dressing
The application of a sand which is typically within the 0.125 - 0.500mm size range can help to maintain a dry surface and improve drainage - particularly where hand forking or spiking has been carried out beforehand. This will also aid traction between a player's boot and the ground.
Whilst most of the yearly top-dressing will have been applied during the renovation and summer period, occasional selective applications during the winter months can aid pitch playability. Make sure, therefore, that a reasonable supply is kept in stock to be used over the playing season.