Having healthy turf to play sports on is important to any Sports Surface Manager. But today, with the pressures of televised events it must also look good. To give future Sports Surface Managers an insight into what actually goes on throughout the year in a high profile stadium Askham Bryan College have formed a partnership with Leeds Rugby Ltd.
This partnership will initially allow National Diploma Horticulture students on the Turf Production and Maintenance module to carry out turf maintenance operations on the playing pitch at Headingley. The premise stands that for half of the college year half of the group will be on the pitch and the other half in the classroom and then vice versa. The students will attend classes at Headingley on alternate weeks, whilst at college they will be able to apply the same methods on the college playing surface.
This should work out to be a fantastic opportunity for both parties, seeing at Headingley not only a Rugby Academy but also a Sports Surface Managers Academy.
Dan Prest
Course Tutor
National Diploma Horticulture
