HERO Hybrid Grass

1. Information

Hybrid Grass technologies entered the sporting market 20 years ago. In recent times HERO Hybrid Grass was developed to enhance the performance of these hybrid grass technologies and to meet the growing expectations of customers wishing to benefit from hybrid grass technologies. The aim was to create the perfect playing surface to withstand today’s high usage demands on pitches, and to increase the longevity of the surface in playing hours.

HERO is unique in that it offers the greatest distribution of artificial grass fibres per square metre of natural grass, thus creating the most consistent and safe playing surface available. HERO is performance tested by Labosport. HERO meets the international playing standards of World Rugby and FIFA.

The fibres protect the plant from wear and aid the plant in its recovery. HERO can therefore offer 3x more playing hours in comparison to natural grass alone. In HERO, 5% of the playing surface is artificial grass and 95% of the playing surface is natural grass. Each fibre is 65mm tall, with 45mm in the profile and 20mm free in the natural grass.

The underside of HERO is a reticulated grid. This structure is 85% open; hence it is not characterised as a backing. The vertical fibres are anchored to this horizontal grid via knots. The fibres extend from each junction of the grid; hence the symmetry of the grid is reflected in the symmetry of the fibres. This unique, patented construction is achieved via knitting, rather than tufting or weaving.

The open construction of HERO creates the perfect growing environment for the natural grass to thrive. With no backing, there is no impediment to the plant’s root growth because there is no physical barrier. By eliminating the physical barrier, the risk of organic fines being trapped in the surface is also eliminated. The growing medium remains healthy and open, exhibiting the optimum balance between air and moisture.

This balance also improves the playing performance of the surface, for example reducing the likelihood of players slipping from excess moisture retained in the surface. The elimination of the physical barrier also improves the biomechanics of the playing surface, for example the players energy is better absorbed by the surface and returned from the surface.

HERO is a versatile hybrid grass technology. The technology can be rolled out and planted onsite, for example at a training facility, where there is time to grow-in the natural grass on-site. Or it may be rolled out as a pre-grown ‘ready-to-play’ surface, where it is used in a stadium to replace damaged areas before the next event.

The design of HERO is tailored to suit different sports, for example football, rugby and golf, and also to suit different natural grass cultivars. Hence HERO’s versatility is truly global.

The technology also supports Ground Managers, allowing them to renovate the natural grass throughout the year, for example between events, mid-season, or at the end of season. This year-round renovation ensures the playing surface continues to meet the demands of the event schedule year-round.

HERO may be installed as a long-term installation, for example 10 years plus in a stadium or training pitch, or it may be installed as a short-term installation, for a specific event or for a specific period of events. After use it may be removed and maintained for the next installation or disposed of. If disposed of, the components of HERO can be biodegrading or recycled. Again the design is versatile to suit.