Sandbach Rugby Club, a highly regarded amateur club in Cheshire, is now enjoying the benefits of automation following the introduction of Husqvarna's professional robotic mowers.
After witnessing the benefits at another club in 2023, Sandbach RUFC made the decision to adopt the cutting-edge technology and officially installed robotics in March 2024.
Here, Husqvarna speaks with Mark Morris, a key member of the Grounds Team, about the club’s journey into robotics and the impact automation has had on their pitch maintenance and player experience.
What was it that attracted you to robotics technology, and how did you hear about it?
“I was using the robotic mowers in my garden for about ten years, and after seeing first hand the benefits that they brought, I initially decided to trial robotics at Middlewich Football Club, another club I oversee, in August 2023. The impact was immediate, with clear improvements in the quality and appearance of the playing surface. Around the same time, we had been considering whether or not to go down the robotics route at Sandbach RUFC or replace our existing equipment, which was looking tired and had experienced a series of recent breakdowns. After seeing the improvements that robotics made to Middlewich FC and taking into account the wider benefits for the club, we made the decision to go down the robotics route, and by March 2024, we had completed the installation.”
What challenges did you face beforehand?
“As an amateur club, we’ve always relied heavily on volunteers to maintain our pitches, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep a consistent volunteer base. We had an incident last year, whereby our staff dedicated between 150-200 hours during pre-season to prepare the pitches. Just two weeks before the first game, our existing equipment broke down, meaning we had to bring in external support. Unfortunately, this led to the pitch being damaged, undoing all the hard work we had put in. The unreliability of our old mowers was a constant issue – they often broke down at critical moments, and repairs would take weeks. In contrast, robotics offer a much more reliable solution, with repairs or replacements available within 24 hours, which was a major factor in our decision.
What machines do you have, and how do they operate?
“We currently have two machines installed – the CEORA and the Automower 550 EPOS. The CEORA is responsible for maintaining the main pitches, while the Automower 550 EPOS looks after the areas surrounding them. CEORA operates 24/7 and has a flexible schedule that adapts to our training sessions. For example, it avoids mowing the pitches between 5-10pm to allow the players to use the pitches for training. We have six pitches in total, with CEORA handling the bulk of the mowing. The ability to adapt the mowers cutting schedules and divert them away from areas in use was a huge draw for us.”
What benefits have you seen?
“The transition to robotics has brought significant benefits to the club. One of the biggest improvements is the time saved. We’ve seen the saving of around 15 to 25 hours of volunteer labour each week, which has meant those volunteers can focus on other important tasks we previously didn’t have the time to address, such as verti-draining.
“From an aesthetic perspective, the mulching feature of the mowers has enhanced the pitch quality hugely. In previous years we had manually fertilised the grass but often the mowing methods we used would mean that a lot of it would be accidentally swept away during cutting, so the fact we can consistently fertilise the pitches has resulted in a significant improvement in pitch appearance. Whilst the good weather has played a part, this season’s pitch quality is the best we’ve ever seen.
“The consistent cut has made a big difference to the appearance of the pitch too. We have the mowers set to a cutting height of 45mm, which gives the pitches a pristine, golf-course like appearance. The aesthetic of the pitches is really important to the club, and we’ve received a lot of positive feedback about the enhanced look and the improved underfoot training quality for the players. The consistent playing surface has definitely been noted and appreciated by our players.”
What was the installation and support process like?
“The installation and support experience has been great, particularly in the initial stages. Chelford Farm Supplies provided exceptional support, offering detailed information about our requirements and spending a good amount of time walking us through the process. They conducted a trial run with a smaller mower on our first team pitch, which ensures any issues were identified and resolved during the trial phase. Their support made the transition to robotics smooth and efficient.”
