Windhoek Gymnasium unveils brand-new rugby turf

Since the installation of Africa’s first full-sized Rhino-Turf rugby field in 2016 at Windhoek Gymnasium’s Kleine Kuppe campus which became known as the Lions Den, the satisfaction of saving of the scarce resource of water has been celebrated.However, in recent years the deterioration of the synthetic grass and the heat experienced by players on the field during hot sunny days became a concern.The executive head of Windhoek Gymnasium, Colette Rieckert, investigated newer options, with the aim to decrease the heat on the field and grass burns caused as a result of deteriorated grass.Global turf manufacturer Rhino-Turf recently developed a product with UV-resistant grass stems, which is filled with cork instead of the tiny black rubber balls of the previous products.The installation of the new modern Rhino-Turf was not an easy project. First the black rubber balls of the old field had to be removed. Then the old sand on top of the turf had to be sucked out. The old turf was cut into sizable units, which was sold or donated by the school. In the following stage, the sponge padding was cleaned, replaced where necessary and leveled. The new turf was rolled out and lines cut in and then 200 tons of clean mica sand had to be worked in, and 60 tons of cork. It is expected that maximum temperatures reached on this new field will be at least 20 degrees Celsius less than on the previous field. After the completion of the seven-weeks process, the Lions Den is the only World Rugby accredited schools rugby field in Namibia. Windhoek Gymnasium believes in sharing their resources with the rest of the country, for the development and growth of sport in Namibia.On this coming Friday and Saturday, the national rugby trials for under-16 and under-18 will be held on this brand-new field of Windhoek Gymnasium, giving all the top senior school rugby players the opportunity to play on this superb new internationally-rated rugby field.The trials will serve for the selection of Namibia’s teams to compete at the U16 Grant Khomo, as well as the U18 Academy Week tournaments in South Africa.

Windhoek Gymnasium unveils brand-new rugby turf

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-17

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Windhoek Gymnasium unveils brand-new rugby turf

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-17

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