First match played on Poligras Paris GT zero turf
Hamburger Polo Club v Rot-Weiss Köln, 31 March 2023
The Bundesliga was the first league to put the turf which will be used at Paris 2024 through its paces, in a clash between Hamburger Polo Club and Rot-Weiss Köln on 31 March 2023.
The game was not only the first Hockey Zero match, but was the first match for the Hamburger Polo Club on their own grounds. It was a great occasion with a big crowd cheering on the home side to a 3-1 victory against a team packed with German international stars.
New turf plays fast for players and fans
2023 World Cup Champion and Hamburger Polo Club player, Matthias Muller explained the turf’s benefits for players and fans alike:
“The turf is flat and fast which is good for defenders and good for everyone. I think it is more enjoyable to watch with a turf like that.”
His teammate, New Zealand and Hamburger Polo Club player Blair Tarrant, also speaking after the inaugural match, confirmed;
“The turf made our jobs easier around the back because the ball just flies around. It was an amazing atmosphere and a great night of hockey.”
“The way the world is going we need (green) initiatives like this and it is important that our sport is ahead of the game in this aspect”
Hockey’s First Carbon Zero Turf Technology
The turf, which was installed by Polytan at the hosts’ historic hockey club in October 2022, was developed to support the FIH and Paris Games’ sustainability targets and marks the world’s first carbon zero hockey turf. Using sugarcane as a bio-raw material for the turf’s fibers means the Poligras Paris GT zero turf saves 73 tonnes of CO2 compared to a conventional turf.
After his team’s victory, Blair Tarrant also impressed the need for hockey to raise its game for the environment:
“The way the world is going we need (green) initiatives like this and it is important that our sport is ahead of the game in this aspect.”
Germany Eyes Carbon Zero Gold in Paris
Matts Grambusch, 2023 World Cup Champion and Rot-Weiss Köln player, speaking after his team’s defeat, has his eyes firmly on a bigger prize;
“The Olympics is our biggest stage… It was great to practice on the new surface here in Hamburg. Hopefully we are going to win a gold medal on this turf.”
View match footage, player interviews and learn more about Carbon Zero Hockey here.