3G Rugby Pitch for Munster Rugby at Irish Independent Park
State-of-the-art 3G rugby pitch at Irish Independent Park in Cork, Ireland
Irish Independent Park is the focal point for rugby in South Munster. Our 3G rugby pitch for Munster Rugby is the most advanced on the market, has passed World Rugby Regulation 22 tests, and now plays like the highest quality natural grass pitch.
About the project
In 2018, the Irish Independent Park, home of Munster Rugby, decided to install a rugby-specific artificial grass pitch.
After a careful selection process, they chose a local sports pitch construction company as their supplier, partly because of their long-standing partnership with CCGrass. After much discussion, the Superb EX2 system was chosen for its specific focus on providing the best rugby experience.
About the surface
Superb EX2 is a top-level rugby turf system, designed to be installed over high-performance shock pads, to provide the ultimate rugby performance. Superb EX2 is made from a combination of two yarns.
The main fiber is the Superb yarn with its strong diamond shape, which balances durability and resilience with a player-friendly soft feel.
This is supported by a texturized yarn (“thatch”) that replicates natural grass fibres and holds the sand layer, at the base of the turf, providing a better grip for scrummaging and pushing on.
Revisiting Irish Independent Park
In 2020, we revisited the Irish Independent Park to check how this 3G rugby pitch is doing and how it is being used. Speaking to the facility manager at Independent Park, Ian Dunne, we asked, how much use does this rugby pitch get?
The answer was pleasantly surprising: “We have increased our usage from our previous natural grass, where we played 56 games a season, to now playing over 150 games on the CCGrass 3G rugby pitch. On top of this, we also make the artificial turf pitch available every night of the week, to the community.”
As previously mentioned, the rugby turf surface features Superb fibre and plays to a very high standard. We asked Ian if he had any comments on how the pitch plays, and he responded: “The feedback on how this rugby pitch performs is very positive and we are told by players that it plays better than other 3G surfaces, which they have played on in the past.”
Testimonial from the club
“We are very happy with the CCGrass surface as it allows us to make the 3G rugby pitch facility available to users 12 months of the year. The artificial rugby pitch is easily maintained, which allows the surface to perform at a very high level, allowing all players to enjoy the experience of using our grass surface.”
— Facility manager at Independent Park, Ian Dunne
Quote from CCGrass
“To have provided the Munster Rugby players with a CCGrass rugby surface to play on, is an honour, but to have such positive feedback from coaches and players means even more. The Superb EX2 surface really is a top-quality rugby product and its durability will ensure it will perform to a high standard for years to come.”
— CCGrass UK CEO, Bryn Lee
About CCGrass
CCGrass is a World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer, ensuring every rugby pitch meets rigorously tested standards, while the player’s safety is never compromised. Always ensure your artificial rugby field is designed, built, and maintained to meet World Rugby Regulation 22.
We offer 3G rugby pitches that have been used for Rugby’s top clubs, International U-20 rugby, Pro 14, Premiership training, as well as schools and universities.
