rlhttp://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/20281.phprl

Due to Rugby League games being played in 'Summertime',the main beneficiary of the underground heating will be the union team.Given the poor attendances at union games ,will it be worth spending fuel costs on heating?.

There are 2 seasons in this country. June and Winter.

The inclusion of the undersoil heating is a sensible move given the size of the investment being made. The winter usually bites around our pre-season and the launch of the new RL season and there is always the Boxing day fixture to get on for those who appreciate it - I'm not amongst them but I'm sure others do.

Our season starts in Feb when its recently been the coldest month, and most likely for snow. In terms of revenue etc lost when games are cancelled I think it would pay for itself over a fairly short period

The other problem is pitch recovery & it taking until late summer to get the pitch looking anything like top quality... just at the end of our season in time for the new RU season! The reason is of course the ongoing drainage issues, caused by the old under soil heating, but equally the now lack of under soil heating is further adding to the problem. The pitch is spending quite a bit of time covered in frost sheets during the winter to keep it playable for the RU boys, meaning it is just not getting the sun and air it needs during winter.

Last season the pitch, as we all know, looked ok on Boxing day, but then it spent much of January & February under frost sheets. I seem to recall Jason Booth saying that he was only able to take the frost sheets off the pitch 2 or 3 days throughout the whole of January. In March, as the weather warmed, it was in bad as a condition I have ever seen it and again Jason just got the pitch back to something like in late August!

So, yes, the under soil will be of massive benefit to both teams, given that our season starts in February but also because when we do start back the pitch will be in much better condition from the winter so far, and equally would expect the pitch to be looking at it's best from spring right through to the end of the RL season.