Field use

Estimate footfall

Summary

• Total rugby hours/year: 1756
• Anticipated maintenance hours/year: 175.6
• Average rugby hours/month: 36.6

Assumptions

• Calculations based on three 15s sides, 7s sides, and intrasquad competition for both men and women – 7s sides calculated as half of a 15s side
• Outside groups such as the city team get several hours per week in March and November as potential cover during worse weather months
• Some hours estimated for camps/clinics and special events
• Likely more of an underestimate than an overestimate

Better Field Guidelines

Maintenance

• For every 10 hours of use, 1 hour of maintenance is projected
• Additional quarterly maintenance should also be considered
• Necessary maintenance equipment is projected to be 2-3% of total project cost

Lifetime use

• Usage is generally labeled low, medium, and high. Above 35 hours per week lands the estimation in the medium usage band.
• Rugby exceeds 35 hours/week six months of the year. Rugby exceeds 50 hours/week (high) five months of the year.
• Expected lifespan for playing surface (the carpet) products receiving medium usage is 10 years
• The cost of playing surface replacement is estimated to be at least $650,000.
• Facility rental can be used to fund playing surface replacement, though, exceeding 60 hours/wk of average is expected to decrease expected lifespan to less than 7 years.

Construction

• Construction of any field project will most likely commence in April to allow for an opening in August
• Earlier construction is likely not feasible due to weather
• Later construction, July at the latest, could be considered if all teams continued to utilize alternate facilities

Takeaways

• Rugby can/will account for over 50% of a field’s use, which underlines the need for priority access, if not some control over scheduling.