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EDITOR'S BLOG

A ROBOTIC GAME CHANGER
For Newport RFC
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

I recently visited Neil Furness who looks after Newport's pitches, who was keen to show me what the club's investment in robotics has meant to the facilities.

Prior to the official start of this year’s rugby season (September-May) I had the chance to call in to see Neil Furness, an old rugby playing friend of mine. We both played rugby for Newport Rugby Club (Salop) back in the 1990s. Neil, a local farmer, has for the last twenty years took on the responsibility of maintaining the pitches at the club.

Newport RUFC is an English rugby team based at the Old Showground, just outside the town of Newport, Shropshire. They currently play in the fifth-tier league of the English rugby union system, Regional 1 North West, following their relegation from National League 2 West in 2023–24.

In 1981 Newport moved to the Showground site off Forton Road, just a field away from the old pitches at Chetwynd End. A new clubhouse was built, and four pitches were laid out. The Newport pitches are on sand and drain very well. Games are very rarely called off.

In recent years the club have invested a fair amount of money into improving the quality of their pitches. They now employ a local sports pitch contractor to undertake the main mowing, feeding, and end of season renovations. Regular line marking is done by Neil and friend John. Last year in June 2024, they invested in an Origin Tiny Robot line marker.

I arrived at the club at 3pm in time to see Neil and john marking out the pitches. John uses a rotary pedestrian mower with a rear roller to mow the lines prior to the Tiny Robot starting to mark the lines.

The club paid £15000 for the TinyLineMarker and pay an annual subscription fee of £1200 for software updates and servicing.

Neil was keen to show me the robot working, and how easy it was to use. It took five minutes to set up, which involved inserting the battery, setting the height of the discs, filling up with paint and using the app on a tablet to start up the robot.

Neil drove the robot to the side of the first team pitch using his tablet, and set it off to mark out the pitch, which was completed in just under 35 minutes. We then drove the marker to the second team pitch and again it completed the task in less than 35 minutes. Neil usually marks out all four pitches in one session taking just over two hours. As for paint (10 litres) a full tank will do between 3-4 pitches dependent on the nozzle set up. Neil uses Origin’s Impact Pro ready mixed paint that comes in a 10L container.

Neil told me he cannot praise the robot enough. It has revolutionised his work programme, drastically reducing both the time and manual effort it takes to mark out the club’s four pitches - with the added benefit that the lines are so much straighter.

Using the robotic marker has also freed Neil’s time to do other jobs on the pitches, such as mowing the banks and strimming around fence lines etc.

Neil has also acquired another robot, a Husqvarna mowing unit, to cut the grass banks around the first team pitch.

For me, it was great to see the club investing in their pitches. They look so much better and hopefully over the course of the playing season will inspire the players to win matches.

NEWS

HISTORY TO BE MADE AT WOMEN'S WORLD CUP FINAL
All female grounds team next Saturday

In our first WEB ONLY story an all-female team of 15 grounds professionals will take charge of the pitch at Allianz Stadium ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final and bronze medal match.

INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
From this year's GroundsFest

In our next WEB ONLY story the first-ever GroundsFest Innovation Awards drew over 100 entries - with organisers confirming the winners across several categories.

STUDENT GREENKEEPERS OF THE YEAR NAMED
At Rudding Park event

Two talented greenkeepers were rewarded at the 36th staging of the awards, cementing their place among an illustrious list of past winners.

BIGGA, Reesink Turfcare and Toro have revealed the winners of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards 2025 at an event at Rudding Park in North Yorkshire.

Two talented greenkeepers were rewarded at the 36th staging of the awards, cementing their place among an illustrious list of past winners.

Bradley Taylor, student at Myerscough College, and Matthew Strutt Donnelly, who attends Berkshire College of Agriculture, emerged victorious after impressing judges across a series of assessments designed to test their knowledge, skill and passion for greenkeeping.

Bradley, first assistant at Beau Desert Golf Club, in Staffordshire, was awarded the main Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year prize, while Matthew, an apprentice at Stoneham Golf Club, in Hampshire, secured the Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year award.

Following regional judging earlier in the year, eight finalists were selected to compete in the finals at Rudding Park, near Harrogate.

Over two days, they undertook a range of practical and theoretical tests, from seed and grass identification to presentations and interviews, giving them a platform to showcase their expertise and enthusiasm for the industry.

Jamie Beattie, assistant greenkeeper at Royal Liverpool, was the runner-up for the main award, with fellow Myerscough College student and Parkstone apprentice Oli Badger claiming that spot in the Young category.

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards will return in 2026.

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said, "Congratulations to Bradley Taylor and Matthew Strutt Donnelly, two very worthy winners among an exceptionally strong list of finalists.

"Seeing the calibre of the finalists fills me with optimism for the future of our industry."

SNOW MOLD OUTBREAKS CUT
Course reports significant reduction

Head greenkeeper explains how he and his team had struggled with disease outbreaks after wetter winters left excessive nitrogen in the soil.

Sweden’s Sankt Jörgen Park golf course has reported a significant reduction in Snow Mold (Fusarium Patch) following the adoption of Suståne’s 6-2-4 Turf Revival fertiliser.

Head greenkeeper Andreas Flodman and his team had struggled with disease outbreaks after wetter winters left excessive nitrogen in the soil. Working with distributor Crophealth, soil testing revealed high nutrient levels over winter were contributing to problems with turf health and spring recovery.

Andreas says that switching to the company's slow-release organic-based products has helped the club lower nitrogen without compromising play quality. Over the past three seasons, he has applied two to four doses of 6-2-4 Turf Revival annually, supported by Suståne 5-2-4+Fe in autumn when needed.

“The fertiliser provides a reliable and consistent nutrient source without excessive growth or thatch,” Andreas explained. “Each winter we’re seeing less disease, and we’re aiming to get through to spring with no impact at all.”

The benefits have also extended beyond the course, with the resort’s vineyard now converting to an organic approach using the same range.

CELEBRITY KEYNOTE REVEALED
For November's SALTEX

Organisers of the trade show at the NEC have confirmed who will be delivering this year's keynote address.

Organisers of SALTEX, the GMA have confirmed that rugby legend, media personality and best-selling author James Haskell will take centre stage as this year's keynote address - and then later will be doing a DJ set in the Clubhouse bar.

At the NEC, Birmingham on 12-13 November 2025, the GMA say James will be drawing on his career as one of England’s most recognisable rugby players and his journey from elite sport to the media and business worlds. They say he will share on:

Resilience & Discipline

How elite athletes build resilience, discipline and mental toughness - skills that translate to leading teams and managing high-performance grounds

Teamwork & Communication

Lessons in teamwork and communication that enhance collaboration across crews and departments, just like on the rugby pitch

Adaptability & Wellbeing

Why staying adaptable and prioritising wellbeing helps grounds teams thrive in fast-moving, high-stakes environments

Insights & Anecdotes

Stories from James’ career - with nods to the role of expertly maintained pitches in supporting peak performance

ROBOTICS & SOLAR POWER ADOPTED
By Rushden GC

To make the robotic installation viable, a bespoke solar panel solution was undertaken, ensuring the mowers could operate efficiently without relying on mains power.

Rushden Golf Club in Northamptonshire has introduced three Echo TM-2050 robotic mowers to maintain its back nine holes, in partnership with autonomous machinery specialists GroundTech.

The club, which dates back to 1919, expanded in 2013 with a newer, flatter back nine layout considered well-suited to robotic mowing. To make the installation viable, GroundTech provided a bespoke solar panel solution, ensuring the mowers could operate efficiently without relying on mains power.

Club director Paul Newell said the move eases pressure on the four-strong greenkeeping team and allows staff to focus on other course improvements. “The solar element was key to making the package work for us,” he explained.

The TM-2050 is the largest in the brand’s commercial range, capable of mowing up to 75,000m². At Rushden, the units cut all areas except tees and greens, with members already commenting that they notice improvements in presentation.

Paul added that the club is exploring extending the use of the robotic technology across other areas of the course in the future.

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