Sports Technology

The Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) has established an Australian warm season grass research centre at the Redlands Research Station in Cleveland, Queensland.

The recent establishment of the Centre came at an opportune time for the Redlands Research Station, given the decision by the Queensland Government earlier in the year to cease funding of lifestyle horticulture (including turf) research at the Research Station.

STRI's decision to establish a warm season turf research base is a result of the company's expanding international business, working with major international sports bodies in regions such as South Africa, Asia and South America.

STRI plans to conduct research into warm season turf grass performance, the efficacy of turf grass products, and the development of new and innovative technologies for Australian and international markets.

The Centre will also be the headquarters for the STRI's consultancy services for the design and maintenance of sports surfaces, supporting their work on current and future international consultancy projects, including the design and development of the stadia and training pitches for the FIFA World Cup events.

Commenting on the recent expansion, STRI Chief Executive Gordon McKillop explained "this new venture in Australia represents our commitment to the turfgrass industry to help improve the global knowledge of sports turf management within a rapidly moving industry. We are replicating the successful research and consultancy format we have established in the UK to further cement our position as leaders in the field."

The new Australian office and research facility will be headed up by Managing Director, Mark Godfrey, who added "STRI has had tremendous success over the last five years and we are delighted to be in a position to invest in this development in Australia.

"The STRI facility at the Redlands Research Station will help us research ways to improve the development and management of turf, as well as providing an opportunity for us to develop cutting-edge technologies. This new venture is vital to the provision of a consistent and focused approach for STRI's research and consultancy services for our clients across the globe"

A key addition to the STRI team is Keith McAuliffe (pictured below), who will head the STRI consultancy services in Australia. McAuliffe has 30 years' experience working within the sports turf industry across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

Looking forward to working at the Centre, McAuliffe added "the world-class facilities at Redlands Research Station will allow STRI to develop credible turf research in Australia and share our knowledge of establishing and managing sports turf."

McAuliffe believes that there has been a decline in the local, independent sports surfaces research in Australia in recent years, adding that the loss of government funding for lifestyle horticulture in Queensland was a "blow" to the sports turf industry, resulting in no sustained research effort in the State.

In the long term, McAuliffe hopes that the involvement of STRI at Redlands Research Station will ensure that Queensland, and Australia, "remain to the fore in international turf grass and sports surfaces research."

The Centre also aims to ensure that there is 'local' input into STRI's global consultancy work, with STRI contracted by several major international sports bodies to oversee the quality control of events such as the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

STRI was established in the United Kingdom in 1929 to provide research and advisory services for golf clubs on their golf greens and courses. By the 1950s, STRI had established a reputation as the leading company for providing advice and research on new products and techniques for managing sports turf for all types of sports surfaces and amenity grass areas. The last two decades have seen rapid growth within STRI, currently with 75 staff, delivering a range of research and consultancy services across an international client base of around 2,100 sports clubs and facilities each year.

Click here to contact STRI via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

14th November 2012 - XTRAGRASS HYBRID TURF SYSTEM OFFERS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS