Myth busters

“If I have a Regulation 22 compliant field, I don’t need to maintain it.”

False: There is no such thing as a maintenance free artificial turf field. The maintenance levels are significantly less than for natural turf, but it is crucial to ensure that appropriate maintenance is completed regularly and adjusted in-line with usage levels.

"Only community level rugby will be played on our field, therefore we do not need to get it tested to comply with Regulation 22"

False: The regulation does not differentiate between levels of the game. A Regulation 22 compliant field is suitable for community rugby all the way through to international rugby, assuming dimensions and other considerations make it suitable.

“Our artificial surface is a half-sized pitch, and is only used for training, therefore I don’t need to have it comply with Regulation 22.”

False: The regulation does not take into account field size and World Rugby require that even the smallest training areas used for contact rugby are compliant.

“The intended usage levels of a field don’t need to be included in the tendering process.”

False: When tendering for a field it is critical to be clear on the usage levels intended for the field. If the actual usage level increases, then discussions should be had with the surface provider to ensure warranties still apply.

“I can only get a Regulation 22 compliant field from a Preferred Turf Producer.”

False: A non-PTP field can be considered Regulation 22 compliant and can be used for any form of rugby but will not receive a World Rugby certificate. World Rugby strongly recommend the use of a PTP, due to their wealth of knowledge and their contractual obligations. 

“We are installing an artificial field that will mainly be used for football and so will comply with the FIFA regulations. We cannot get this field Regulation 22 certified too.”

False: World Rugby encourage the inclusion of rugby in multi-sport venues. Rugby pitch lines can be incorporated into other sport lines. Specifically in the case of football, World Rugby and FIFA work very closely in their regulation of artificial surfaces and their testing requirements are mostly the same.

“I can’t have logos printed on my artificial field.”

False: The inclusion of logos on rugby fields is permitted. From a Regulation 22 perspective you should check with your provider or a test institute to see if there are any limitations on the use of specific colours (some additional testing may be required for non-traditional colours).