Top class hockey turf now open

The new hockey turf was officially opened at Nicholson Field on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner

Tauranga Boys' College First XI's chances of winning a first Rankin Cup title later this year have been enhanced by a new world-class turf pitch.

The iconic blue surface was officially opened on Saturday at the school with some past players and teachers testing themselves against the First XI.

It is a complete transformation from the old, worn out turf that had been used since 2004.

Having hundreds of boys playing on it during lunch breaks and PE classes, as well as hockey matches, finally took its toll.

Tauranga Boys' First XI captain Ryan Forlong says it is great to have a world class turf to play on to add to the quality facilities at the Tauranga Hockey Centre at Blake Park.

"The old turf was slippery and worn right down and not up to standard to play good hockey on," he said.

"(New turf) enables us to get better and enables us to play those teams that are able to train on the same surfaces, like King's College and Westlake Boys', some of the best teams in the country.

"I think it will be an advantage for us going into nationals and Rankin Cup."

Hockey is already booming at Tauranga Boys' College with the school fielding a record nine teams this year with 140 players involved.

Forlong says the new turf will only enhance playing numbers in the years to come.

"It is looking good for hockey and obviously this turf will help develop those players."

Tauranga Boys' College business development manager Delwynne Hahunga was in charge of the project from initial concept to the end.

She says it was a process that began around the middle of last year and came in under budget.

"It is guaranteed for 10 years but obviously it depends on how much use it gets. It is a school asset so gets a lot use," she said.

"It is hugely important for the school considering the state of the old turf that was just so old it was just dangerous when it was wet. We might have considered it our home advantage when other schools came to play here but honestly it was so slippery for the speed they were playing at."

The new turf was laid over the summer holidays with painstaking precision by Tauranga Boys' students, including several members of the hockey squad.

"A whole lot were involved with the lifting of the turf and there were about eight of the hockey boys involved in the laying of the turf," Hahunga said.

"It is just wonderful and now they have ownership of the turf, these boys. They are so proud and they worked so hard on those really hot, windy summer days. They were amazing."