University sports facilities are first in class after SIS Pitches revamp

Students across the UK will be competing at multi-sport facilities worthy of first-class honours when they report for the new academic year – thanks to the award-winning SIS Pitches.

The global pitch specialist has installed a range of its revolutionary SIS Grass Synthetic playing surfaces at six universities, including The University of Manchester, University of Hull, Durham University, Loughborough University, the University of Bradford and the University of Cumbria.

SIS Pitches won the prestigious ‘Award for Excellence’ at the annual Sport & Play Construction Association (SAPCA) Awards earlier this year after the opening of four new floodlit synthetic turf pitches at the University of Manchester’s Fallowfield campus – setting a new record in the process.

The 42-week project is not only a record-breaking first as the UK’s biggest single new build project, but marks the largest single value £2m plus project for SIS Pitches. The revamped site includes two hockey and single rugby, football pitches and practice cricket wickets, featuring SIS Grass Synthetic Hockey Elite, Scrummager 60 and Superior 60 surfaces respectively.

SIS Pitches was able to undertake the work in conjunction with sports lighting specialist Halliday Lighting, who were responsible for construction and management of floodlighting at the venue.

In addition, SIS Pitches has installed four new pitches as part of an upgrade of the sports facilities at the University of Hull.

The Cumbria-based company refurbished two football pitches with its increasingly popular SIS Grass Synthetic Superior surface and upgraded an existing hockey pitch with SIS Grass Synthetic Pro Hockey Champion. A brand new rugby pitch featuring SIS Grass Synthetic Scrummager has also been constructed.

New 3G rugby pitches have been installed at both Durham University, at its Graham Sports Centre, and Loughborough University.

SIS Pitches has also overseen the refurbishment of tennis courts and football and rugby pitches at Bradford University, while a new hockey pitch has been installed at the University of Cumbria’s Lancaster Campus.

The University of Warwick is also in the middle of an upgrade, with SIS Pitches constructing a brand new 3G artificial grass pitch for football and rugby.

SIS Pitches’ scope isn’t limited to turf, either, having carried out the associated landscape works at a number of Universities across Britain.

The firm also has a proven track record of working with independent schools, having recently completed projects at Gresham School, Harrow School and Coventry Schools Foundation.

The increased durability of SIS Grass Synthetic means that it is not only students who benefit from the new playing surfaces all year around, day and night, but also local teams and the wider community.

SIS Pitches UK Projects Director, Simon Mroczek, said: “We are extremely proud of the projects we have completed at universities and schools around the UK and look forward to showcasing the benefits of SIS Grass Synthetic to many more in the coming months.

“Both the high quality and durability of SIS Grass Synthetic enables extended, multi-purpose use that not only meets the needs of universities and schools, but also their wider communities.

“The University of Manchester project is our biggest of its kind to date and will provide world class facilities for years to come while, at the same time, maintaining the university’s reputation as a leader in the sporting field.”

Vicky Foster-Lloyd, Head of Sport at The University of Manchester, added: “With SIS Pitches, we have achieved everything we set out to and are the proud owners of an excellent facility that we know will add massively to the student experience and will provide a world class environment for them and the local community well into the future.

SIS Pitches is part of a framework agreement to provide the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of artificial grass pitches. The agreement is in support of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Football Association (FA), Sport England, England Hockey and Football Foundation (FF) capital investment programmes.