End use of artificial pitches - Rees-Zammit

Wales and Bristol star Louis Rees-Zammit has called for an end to artificial playing surfaces in top-flight rugby.

Rees-Zammit played in the Bears' 30-7 defeat by Saracens on Saturday at the StoneX Stadium, and posted a picture on social media showing a heavily scarred right leg.

Prem clubs Saracens, Gloucester and Newcastle all play on artificial pitches, with the state of the Sarries surface coming under scrutiny this season.

Rees-Zammit posted the photo with the caption: "Can we please stop playing on these Astroturf pitches!! Someone do something about it!!"

Saracens and England hooker Jamie George, who has played at the StoneX Stadium for the majority of his club career, admitted he was not fully convinced of the suitability of artificial surfaces for top-level rugby.

"I think everyone reacts differently to these kind of pitches," he said.

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion about them. I know that the StoneX pitch meets all the rules and regs with regards to where the pitches need to be. Whether it's right or wrong for the game? I'm not 100% sure."

It emerged over the weekend that Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam did not select three of his key players because of the state of the pitch in north London.

Pedro Rubiolo, AJ MacGinty and Steven Luatua were rested for the trip to north London.

"They came off big injuries last season so it wasn't worth putting them on that pitch," Lam explained.

"If we were playing the game at home or if it was a semi-final, they would have played."

Research published in 2024, which analysed knee injuries in English top-level rugby over a 20-year period, identified they were 44% more likely to happen on artificial surfaces., external

Because Newcastle relaid their Kingston Park surface over the summer, Saracens' pitch is now the oldest of the artificial pitches in the top flight.

Saracens chief executive Ed Coetzee says the surface is kept under "constant review" and meets all maintenance and safety criteria.

"Following recent comments about the pitch at StoneX Stadium, here are the facts," Coetzee said.

"The surface holds a valid World Rugby Regulation 22 certificate until 1 April 2028. Our SF4 documentation was with Prem Rugby ahead of the deadline. The maintenance programme is followed to the letter. We take pitch condition and player welfare seriously, and we keep the surface under constant review.

"Certified, submitted and maintained. Anyone who would like to see the paperwork only has to ask.

"Who an opposition club picks is entirely its own business and we'd prefer our pitch to be remembered for the rugby played on it, rather than the excuses made afterwards."