Bedford Athletic Rugby Club – Putnoe Woods

McArdle Sport Tec are delighted to build another ‘RFU Rugby 365 programme’ World Rugby Regulation 22 3G pitch.

Bedford Athletic RFC officially opened their new Rugby 365 3G artificial grass pitch (AGP) on the 29th September. TigerTurf won this competitive tender through the Rugby Football Union Framework, and partners McArdle Sport Tec completed the project in August 2018.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) identified that the Bedford area had very limited access to artificial grass pitches; the club was strategically identified as an important requirement for improvement and they prioritised this development. The new artificial pitch will provide a multi-functional venue capable of supporting training and hosting competitions; it is anticipated that the new pitch will be used up to 91 hours per week.

Meeting World Rugby Reg 22 standards, the artificial carpet selected was TigerTurf’s Rugby 360 laid upon a 20mm insitu shock pad. Developed with safety and performance standards in mind, Rugby 360 provides a durable, safe surface for rugby and football, suited to the rigorous demands of rugby training and matches. The new facilities also benefit from new Duralock fencing and floodlighting to enable continuous play throughout the seasons.

Rugby 365

“The RFU (Rugby Football Union) is the national governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England, with 2,000 autonomous rugby clubs in its membership.”

So, what is the RFU Rugby 365 programme?

After the Rugby World Cup in 2015, the RFU set out a legacy to invest more than £50m over a four-year period to develop 100 artificial grass pitches within the United Kingdom. The Rugby Football Union wanted to create accessible facilities & increase participation within the sport. It is anticipated that the Rugby 365 programme will create over 50,000 available playing hours, enabling more training sessions and matches to take place. 3G rugby pitches are durable, safe, allowing all-year round play, which can withstand extensive usage.