Five Pitches, 60 Days: How SIS Pitches Delivered for the World Rugby U20 Championships in Georgia

Ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championships, Georgia needed five pitches ready to withstand the demands of an international tournament – on a timeline that left no room for hesitation.

SIS Pitches was brought in to deliver, building two pitches and renovating three, stitching all five surfaces with SIS GRASS Hybrid technology in just 60 days, followed by one of the fastest mobilisations for a client of this significance.

The result? five pitches that stood up to weeks of intensive training and match play.

As host nation, Georgia needed pitches capable of handling elite-level, high-frequency use across multiple sites simultaneously – capable of hosting both training and matches – all rebuilt to a standard fit for a World Rugby championship.

• 08 May to 27 June – a 60-day window to rebuild and stitch all five pitches
• Multiple venues to be delivered in parallel
• Surfaces needed to withstand rugby’s specific high impact demands – repeated wear across weeks of near-continuous use by training squads and competing nations

Reinforced for rugby

SIS Pitches rebuilt and stitched all five rugby pitches using SIS GRASS Hybrid at 180mm depth and 2×2 spacing, the technology of choice for rugby surfaces that need to combine the playing characteristics of natural grass with the durability and stability to handle sustained, high-intensity contact.

Reinforcing natural grass with stitched synthetic fibres, SIS GRASS Hybrid helps surfaces resist the wear and root disruption that come with heavy rugby use – supporting stronger grass coverage and a more stable footing for players through scrums, mauls, and repeated high-impact contact.

Over the final four weeks before and during the tournament, the five pitches carried an exceptional volume of play:

Given this level of sustained, elite-level use within such a short window, the pitches performed remarkably well – supporting the full training and match schedule of the World Rugby U20 Championships. As well as the construction of these surfaces, our in-house maintenance team were also responsible for maintaining these daily and preparing for match days.

With the tournament complete, focus has now shifted to recovery for the pitches – an ongoing programme of day-to-day maintenance to restore playing quality and protect the long-term legacy of these venues, which will continue to serve Georgian rugby long after the championships.

This tournament follows on from our work delivering 11 pitches for the U21 Euros in 2023, deepening a reputation built on trust and proven delivery. To support Georgian sport at this level, on two major international tournaments, is a genuine honour for the whole SIS Pitches team – and a reflection of how much we value our work with such a valued client.