Ashes series to be played on reinforced
pitches

All three matches in the forthcoming rugby league ashes series between Great Britain and Australia will be played on reinforced pitches, the so-called DD GrassMaster system produced by Desso DLW Sports Systems.

Any muscular injuries that occur will be due to the hard tackling of both sides and not the pitches. In fact, the pitches are reinforced to help the players keep their feet and enable them to play a free-flowing game. The pitches are 97% natural and 3% artificial containing almost 30,000 miles of polypropylene thread stitched into the rootzone.

The series kicks off on Saturday with the game at the JJB Stadium, home to both Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic FC. It moves onto The Kingston Communications Stadium 7 days later, home to Hull FC and Hull City FC and concludes at The McAlpine Stadium the following week, home to both the Huddersfield Giants and Huddersfield Town FC.

These three stadiums are not alone in having DD GrassMaster. In the UK alone, there are ten others including Anfield, Villa Park and White Hart Lane. These are joined abroad by the stadiums of Real Madrid and the Denver Broncos, amongst others.

End of press release

About DD GrassMaster: Over 20 million artificial grass fibres are injected about 20 cm deep, by a computer-controlled machine, into a natural grass pitch. As the roots of the grass grow, they intertwine with the artificial fibres. These fibres form approximately 3% of the whole pitch and anchor the grass roots, giving a very stable grass surface. DD GrassMaster is a patented product of Desso DLW Sports Systems.

About Desso DLW Sports Systems With headquarters in Belgium and offices throughout Europe, Desso DLW Sports Systems is market leader in sports flooring. The company produces over 2.5 million m? of artificial turf for football, tennis, hockey, rugby and multi-purpose usage. Desso DLW Sports Systems also manufactures linoleum, vinyl and textile sports floors for indoor use. The company has a turnover of 55 million Euros and is part of Armstrong World Industries.

For more information Desso DLW Sports Systems 35 London End Beaconsfield Tel 01494 680088 Rick Thorley, UK General Manager rick@dessodlw.co.uk www.dessodlw.com www.armstrong.com