In the last few years, Singapore has been investing great resources in the development of sport facilities for the growth of its young citizens, combining traditional education with the values of team sports.
Football and Rugby represent the most popular choices for new generations, pushing the government to install fields that can meet the needs of both sports at amateur and professional levels.
The United World College is located in the center of Singapore, and is considered a focal point for football and rugby teams in the Region. A modern facility, this school hosts important sport events and tournaments. The pitch is open to all students between 4 and 18 years of age, plus adult teams renting the facility after school hours.
The school teams were previously practicing and playing on a natural pitch located in the same area where the new artificial turf has been built. Hours of intensive usage by rugby and football clubs made the old surface unplayable for long periods of the year, forcing the school management to select an alternative which would provide a place to practice, play and develop children’s skills in a safe environment.
In the Spring of 2012, the United World College decided to proceed with the construction of a full size football-rugby pitch, a surface complying with both FIFA Standards (FIFA 2 Star) and World Rugby Regulation 22. The project was assigned to Limonta Sport and its local partners, who recommended a professional system with a resilient and high performing monofilament carpet Max S to include 100% organic and natural infill InfillPro Geo.
The construction of the artificial turf took four months. This time frame allowed for the removal of the old natural turf surface, building and stabilizing the sub-base, installing the proper drainage system and preparing the turf for sports to be played on it. Works included construction of a retaining wall and 12-meter-high net fronting expressway, plus installation of floodlights.
The total investment was approx. SGD 1.4 million.
Special maintenance training was provided to all school field personnel, demonstrating on-site the importance of correct maintenance procedures. Limonta Sport and its partners take care of maintenance operations biannually, in order to guarantee a high performance, long-lasting system for high level football and rugby.
The system, already selected by top European clubs for its excellent playing characteristics, provides a unique low heating turf system (thanks to the properties of InfillPro Geo) at the same time ensuring the health and safety criteria of both sports are complied with resulting in good foot stability and energy restitution values (an artificial turf system that comes very close to natural turf characteristics).
United World College certified the pitch to both FIFA and World Rugby standards, making it the first facility of its kind in Singapore.
Both FIFA and WORLD RUGBY worked together to develop common standards that ensure high safety standards and excellent performance characteristics for both sports. This means that the investors are now able to provide professional multi-sport facilities for their athletes.
The existing structure of Preferred Turf Producers and Accredited Test Institutes regulates and standardizes the development, performance and maintenance of artificial turf worldwide.
One of the One Turf Programme main goals is to safely encourage younger generations to play sports. Playing multiple sports on the same surface helps schools, municipalities, clubs and academies, to optimize their facilities, thus reducing costs and growing an active and healthy community.
One Turf Programme aims to achieve:
certified both by FIFA and World Rugby
of the One Turf Programme
and performance standard