June 2006

Barenbrug Turf Grass Chosen for all World Cup Stadiums 

‘Fast’ Grass – The New Sports Turf Premium Benchmark

All 12 World Cup soccer fields will consist entirely of Barenbrug grass.  The grass varieties and types used for the turf in the stadiums were specially developed for the World Cup 2006.  Barenbrug varieties set the new benchmark for premium turf and ‘fast grass’ performance. 

FIFA Demands Performance

“We want the very best grass and the same turf conditions in all 12 stadiums,” demanded FIFA.  “The turf in all stadiums must be as comparable as possible.  What’s more, the grass must be ‘fast’ to facilitate technical and attractive Soccer.”  A specially formed FIFA turf grass committee, went to work with these instructions in mind.  After thorough research Barenbrug was selected as the supplier with the best grass product and know-how. 

Grass Seeds for the World Cup 2006

“We are extremely proud of having received this contract,” says Christiaan Arends, grass turf specialist at Barenbrug.  “Of course, we would like to see this as recognition of the development work that we have been doing in the past years.”  The grass seed mixture, which is made up of various types and varieties, was the result of extensive testing and research.  Tests included intensive wear and the filtering out of sunlight, after which the recovery capacity and growth of the turf were closely examined.  The committee was clearly impressed by the newest generation of grass varieties,” concludes Christiaan Arends. 

‘Fast’ Grass, a New Trend

An important FIFA demand was to use grass types that have a positive effect on the speed of the ball. ‘Fast’ grass is the ideal surface for technical and attractive soccer.  As a specialist in grass the plant breeders at Barenbrug have the right types of grass in their portfolios to meet this requirement.   They have developed varieties with stronger horizontal growth and types that allow for extremely short mowing.  The World Cup turf is sown with a specific combination of these varieties, resulting in a short-leafed, dense and exceptionally fast surface.  The newest trend in soccer! 

Turf Growers

In April 2005, two turf sod producers established the Barenbrug grass seed in nine production fields in the Netherlands and three in Germany.  After a growth period of more than 13 months, the sod was harvested and transported to all 12 stadiums where the current turf was replaced by the special World Cup turf.  With Barenbrug grass in Germany, the company has proven that it will play a serious role in the World Cup 2006. 

Barenbrug

The Royal Barenbrug Group is an international company that specializes in plant breeding, seed production and the worldwide marketing of grass seed.  With more than 600 employees, the group operates from 20 subsidiaries in 12 countries on five continents.  “The effort that Barenbrug is putting into research and development is fuelling rapid progress in grass breeding,” explains Christiaan Arends.  In fact, Barenbrug won the Richard Hubert Innovation Award in 2005 for the development of the ‘Shadow’ grass seed mix.  Barenbrug grasses are home in many stadiums, sports fields, golf courses and public parks all over the world.  This family company is an international leader in turf and forage grass science.