A Partnership of Innovation: Sport Group and HG Turf Group
How HG Turf Group and Sport Group are transforming stadiums for elite football events.
When it comes to hosting elite, high-profile football events, ensuring the natural grass meets the highest-quality standards throughout the entirety of the tournament is a challenge. The pursuit of an answer led HG Turf Group’s Hamish Sutherland and his team on a lengthy journey of exploration, culminating in HERO Hybrid Grass.
The innovation is an ingenious combination of high-tech German synthetic fibre from Sport Group, South Korean manufacturing expertise from GST Global, and Australian natural grass know-how from HG Turf Group.
A dynamic partnership for the beautiful game
Fast forward to today, and a successful partnership has been forged between Sport Group, Polytan (a member of Sport Group), GST Global and HG Turf Group, the owner of HERO Hybrid Grass. Together, they are innovating the game of football from the ground up, installing cutting-edge hybrid grass technology in stadiums hosting the world's greatest sporting events.
Hamish Sutherland, Managing Director of HG Turf Group knew that the end result needed commitment and know-how to deliver the best.
“To ensure compatibility between the technology and natural grass, we embarked on extensive testing and R&D, which helped us choose the best fibre and the perfect balance of synthetic grass and natural grass. Today HERO Hybrid Grass has been installed at many of the world’s top football clubs, and we have our local partners to thank for this, including Polytan and County Turf. Sport Group fibre has undeniably enhanced the overall performance of our product, and it continues to do so year on year.”
“Today HERO Hybrid Grass has been installed at many of the world’s top football clubs, and we have our local partners to thank for this, including Polytan and County Turf. Sport Group fibre has undeniably enhanced the overall performance of our product, and it continues to do so year on year.”
Sport Group fibre: the key ingredient
Describing Sport Group fibre as part of their HERO Hybrid Grass product, Hamish Sutherland draws attention to the exceptional quality and reliability it brings.
“When seeking a partner, we knew we wanted the best that German engineering had to offer. Sport Group, with decades of experience in developing fibre for synthetic grass, was the perfect choice. Sport Group is a partner for today and tomorrow, as it leads the industry with its foray into petroleum-free fibres (bio-based) and CO₂ neutral fibres.”
The result of this collaboration is high-performance turf that looks and feels like natural grass, meeting FIFA's classification of "Natural Grass" for hosting elite tournaments, but also boasting a technical edge that allows the world's most talented athletes to shine, and the stadiums to breathe easy.
The hybrid advantage
Elite football, such as the Women’s World Cup, have traditionally been played on natural grass, but FIFA has realised that hybrid grass, which is a mix of natural grass (95%) and synthetic grass (5%) creates a superior playing surface.
The synthetic grass fibres add stability and durability to the playing surface, and they also create a more consistent playing surface which guarantees ball bounce, ball roll and player footing.
Hybrid pitches make the beautiful game more beautiful
Beyond benefiting players and teams, hybrid grass pitches enhance the football experience for spectators. With its impeccable playability, fans can enjoy the sport at its highest level, witnessing breath-taking performances on pitches that have been engineered to deliver the best performance.
Strong environmental performance
The partnership between Sport Group, GST Global and HG Turf Group also prioritises sustainability. HERO Hybrid Grass is 100% recyclable at the end of its useful life, which is valued by those using the technology, and aligns with each partner’s commitment to reducing their impact on the environment.
Pitches made Better. By science and nature.
In the world of football, hybrid grass features the perfect blend of science and nature. By seamlessly merging the advances of German and South Korean engineering with natural grass, Sport Group, GST Global and HG Turf Group have redefined the playing field and set a new standard for excellence in football pitch technology.
For the Women’s World Cup, HERO Hybrid Grass, featuring Sport Group fibres will be used at Stadium Australia, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Perth Rectangular Stadium, Eden Park and Wellington Regional Stadium.