Hotdoggers
Surf Club
Floodlighting for Rugby Pitches
and Grounds
lighting up the game
At the top level of rugby they are a necessity but floodlights
have become increasingly popular to clubs of all sizes across
the country. Any player will tell you that games played under
floodlights have a little extra magic about them but they are
also becoming more and more valuable in providing clubs with
additional income.
At its most basic level, the main advantage of installing floodlights
is that they allow the game to be played at night. This provides
club’s with far more flexibility in relation to when fixtures can be
playe d, particularly during the winter months making it possible
to gain far more use out of a site.
This in turn has the potential to provide club’s with a valuable
source of additional income with the option of hiring out their
pitches which can also serve to improve their relationship with
the local community.
The introduction of high quality all weather pitches combined
with floodlights has opened up even more possibilities with the
capability there to host games and training every night of the
week all year round which again can be a massive boost to rugby
clubs at any levels.
There is plenty of funding available for clubs interested in
introducing or upgrading their floodlights with the Rugby Football
Foundation leading the way. Since being established in 2003 they
have invested over 16.7m in developing community rugby clubs,
stimulating investment in projects with a total value of nearly
£60m.
Speaking to www.rugbyfootballfoundation.org, of the work that
they’ve done LeRoy Angel, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees
said, “The Foundation has helped change the landscape of the
game in England over the last nine years,” adding that there are,
“better pitches available for longer because of the improvements
in lighting that have taken place.” Many clubs have also received
lottery grants to install floodlights.
Over the past 10 years the technology relating to floodlighting has
moved on significantly meaning that higher quality lighting is now
available with less light spillage onto adjacent land or into the
night sky.
It is important when floodlights are being installed to work with
the right partners as a poor job can lead to complaints from
people in the surrounding area. A combination of proper design
and the use of appropriate technology can generally overcome
light pollution problems. So long as this is done correctly with
proper and sympathetic planning there is likely to be either a
negligible or no adverse effect. A poor job can also waste energy
which contributes to global warming and also has an operational
impact.
With floodlighting now playing such an important role for so
many clubs across the country they have become a vital part of
the modern game. With many funding options available and new
technology allowing them to be more effective than ever they
have the potential to be a valuable asset to your club for many
years to come both from a playing and financial perspective.