Jacobsen Mower for Dubai's New and Prestigious Sevens Stadium

The United Arab Emirates new purpose-built stadium 'The Sevens', completed just prior to the Emirates Airlines Dubai Rugby Sevens tournament last November, has taken delivery of a Jacobsen Fairway 305 mower from Ransomes Jacobsen's distributor for the region, Desert Turfcare. Ransomes Jacobsen is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.

The five-unit ride-on mower is being used to maintain the seven grass pitches at the prestigious sporting complex, which features a permanent 4,000 seat grandstand. For large events such as the annual Rugby Sevens tournament, the AC Milan versus FC Hamburg soccer match this January and the forthcoming IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens in March 2009, the stadium capacity can be augmented by a further 38,500 temporary seats accommodating a total of 42,500 spectators.

Benjamin Corby, the Project Manager responsible for the grounds maintenance at the complex says,

"We needed a highly productive cylinder mower that could cut large areas of grass to a very high standard. The Fairway 305 is perfect for our requirements; it has a cutting width just shy of three metres and has a light footprint. Add the excellent quality of cut and it's a mower that's absolutely right for our needs.

"I have a team of six here and there's a lot of grass to be maintained. The second pitch is located in a bowl and enclosed on three sides by grass embankments, which can accommodate 15,000 spectators. The other four pitches are located close to the clubhouse and this will eventually become the home of the Arabian Gulf Rugby Football Union, which is the governing body for rugby in the region."