THE BRITISH
SARACENS
AEROPLANE COMPANY
SARACENS
Saracens are one of the biggest club’s in the
country and they do some fantastic work both
on and off the field. They made it to Premiership
Rugby Final last year before narrowly missing
out on the silverware to Northampton Saints by a
scoreline of 20-24.
This should not take away from what was a very
positive campaign however in which they played some
truly breath-taking rugby. This was reflected by the fact
that they topped the league table in the regular season,
winning 19 and losing just 3 of their 22 matches.
The club will now be keen to bounce back from the
disappointment of narrowly missing out on the trophy
in 2014/15. They are sure to be amongst the key
contenders once again and if they can learn from last
years’ experience they will be in with a great chance of
going one better.
During last season’s campaign the club also celebrating
the 1st anniversary of their revolutionary synthetic pitch
when they took on Newcastle Falcons on January 26th.
The Stadium Director at Allianz Park, Gordon Banks,
explained why they stand by their choice of introducing
their pitch, saying, “The most obvious endorsement of
our judgement was the team finishing top of the league
last year. Clearly that isn’t entirely down to the turf by
any means, but it completely negates any argument
that the surface would adversely affect play.
From a financial standpoint, other professional
clubs will spend up to £150,000 per season on pitch
maintenance, so within four years we would have
saved significantly on the investment. Whilst I am
pleased, more importantly the team are very happy with
the turf and my board is delighted with what it has done
for the club’s P&L.”
The financial benefits of synthetic surfaces are
numerous. As the pitches can be used constantly,
the revenue capacity is substantial with some pitches
capable of bringing in over £200,000 per year in new
income, something natural turf cannot supply.
Artificial turf gives clubs the flexibility to divide up a
playing area for greater participating numbers, without
fear of damaging the pitch. Natural surfaces cannot
sustain this degree of use, especially in poor weather,
so clubs can enhance links with youngsters and
the local community by providing a facility for them.
When coupled with savings on watering, pesticides
and reduced maintenance, synthetic turf becomes a
valuable asset.
Away from the field of play the Saracens Sport
Foundation does a fantastic amount of work in the local
community. They state that their mission is to, “inspire
communities and change lives through the power of
sport.”
They look to provide opportunities for children, young
people and older adults to lead active, healthy lifestyles
with support from the Saracens brand, professional
players and high quality staff. They are based around
the four core pillars of sports development, health and
wellbeing, inclusion and education and training and
now engage with over 70,000 participants annually.
Saracens are clearly a terrific club on and off the field of
play and the country as a whole can be grateful to have
them as a leading light in our professional game.
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