Nelson College sports field upgrade

The Front Field at Nelson College is both the showpiece of the school grounds and the setting for many hotly contested rugby games over the years. The field often turned into a mud bath over the winter, so we were engaged to upgrade the drainage.

We swung into action as soon as the rugby season ended, stripping the existing turf, installing over 2,300 metres of new subsoil drains, cultivating the compacted topsoil, re-levelling the surface with 850 cubic metres of new topsoil, reconfiguring the irrigation, and re-seeding the field. We also installed new post foundations, a new driveway, a long jump pit and a discus circle.

This was a real community project, with the Old Boys Association fundraising over the past couple of years and generous contributions from local subcontractors and suppliers. A surprising number of self-appointed grass experts also leaned over the fence to offer advice over the course of the project!

The completed field looks great, is designed to remain playable through the wettest winter, and will be much easier to maintain.