LigaTurf Legend at the Stadio del rugby Arturo Sciavicco, Messina, Italy
Against a spectacular backdrop
Although, for most people, the words “Italy” and “sport” bring football to mind, Italian sport has much more to offer: for example, rugby. Today, the Italian men’s national rugby union team – the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) – is the sixth-best team in Europe. Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and the capital city, Rome, are known as rugby strongholds. However, rugby is also immensely popular in the south of Italy: for example, in Messina. The local club, Messina Rugby, plays in Serie B, the second-highest Italian league. The men’s team plays its home games at the Stadio del rugby Arturo Sciavicco, which was renovated in 2020 and offers a breathtaking view over the Strait of Messina, the narrow strait between the Italian mainland and the island of Sicily. It’s no wonder that Messina is known as the “gateway to Sicily”.
The rugby field on Via Sperone Alto was equipped with Polytan LigaTurf Legend, our tried-and-tested powerhouse in terms of performance. With its multi-shape filament cross-section, this synthetic football turf ensures optimum fibre recovery. This unique technology guarantees an all-round perfect performance, as attested by numerous certifications in accordance with various international standards. The specially designed cross-section also achieves similar ball-rolling and playing characteristics to those experienced on natural grass. Visually, wider filaments provide excellent coverage and – together with the BiColour design – a fresh, natural look to the pitch. The high wear-resistance of the filaments has been proven in various laboratory tests. This makes the turf system extraordinarily sustainable, a property that is increasingly in demand. LigaTurf Legend is suitable for both football and rugby. Incidentally, LigaTurf synthetic turf from Polytan remains one of the most popular FIFA-certified football turf systems, which we are continuing to develop.
The margin around the playing field was realised in LigaGrass Pro, our textured synthetic turf system. This also features a BiColour design, making it a perfect visual match for the LigaTurf Legend.
As well as the men’s team in Serie B, the Stadio del rugby Arturo Sciavicco is used by the U18s team and the women’s rugby team (“Lo Sport si tinge di Rosa”). It is also frequented by members of the initiative “Rugby per Tutti”, which aims to make rugby accessible to absolutely everybody, with a special emphasis on marginalised groups, such as young offenders or children in foster families.
We are proud that our surfaces support this social dimension of sport in Messina, helping to counteract all forms of discrimination and racism and achieve inclusion, integration and equality among all sport enthusiasts.
