It seems as if it's becoming increasingly regular that top sports professionals in various fields are coming forward to voice their disapproval of artificial playing surfaces.

Last week we reported how top female footballers including Arsenal's Casey Stoney, as well as the French players’ union, had spoken out against them in no uncertain terms.

And now this past Friday, Leicester Tigers captain Ed Slater, gave an interview to The Guardian ahead of Saturday's Aviva Premiership play-off semi-final against Saracens, which saw him roundly attack artificial pitches.

The game which took place on the artificial surface at Allianz Park saw Leicester crushed 44-17, with Saracens booking their place in the final against Exeter.

In the interview Slater said, "I am not an advocate of plastic pitches and do not like them whatsoever for various reasons.” His opinion no doubt shaped by the fact he suffered a knee injury that put him out of action for a month when the Tigers were last at Allianz Park in January.

“I am not making an issue for the semi-final," he went on the explain, "Saracens have been brilliant all season and thoroughly deserve to be at home and we have to get on with it. But in general I know there have been studies that say there are no more injuries on plastic pitches than on grass, and other crappy points in favour of them, but from my experience your ankles, knees, hips and back ache a lot more than after a game on grass. That is not a healthy sign.

“It is hard to tell if my injury at Saracens five months ago was down to the plastic pitch. Logic tells you my knee would have planted in the ground differently on grass and with more of these surfaces being laid, it is something that needs to be looked at.

“You grow up playing on grass pitches and running around on fields and your body gets used to that. Then plastic pitches come around which you have never adapted to and which put different stresses on your body. That is not great when you are playing as physical a game as rugby where the collisions are massive and the demands on your joints huge.”

With increasing numbers of clubs laying artifical pitches in the hope that they will create more revenue through multi-discipline use and a curtailing of cancellations due to weather, maybe a moment's pause should be given to the concerns of the people who are running out on them week in and week out?

I may be wrong, but I haven't come across many interviews lately with sports men and women saying how much they love artificial surfaces and how they prefer to play on them? The argument in favour appears to be purely based on financial considerations - which may or may not prove to be accurate.