About Us | HG Sports Turf

Who are we?

Whether it’s natural grass, artificial grass or a hybrid combination of both, HG Sports Turf offers world renowned sportsfield systems to the market in Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and Asia.

Since introducing Eclipse Stabilised Natural ready-to-play turf to the market in 1999, HG Sports Turf has been selected to supply and install our turf systems at globally recognised sports stadiums across Australasia including ANZ, Canberra, Eden Park, Etihad, Gabba and NIB stadiums as well as Melbourne Cricket Ground to name but a few. In recent times Westpac Stadium, Singapore National Stadium and the Perth Stadium have all chosen HG Sports Turf.

Led by Hamish Sutherland, our highly experienced management team have a combined sports turf industry experience of over 50 years and have managed and led many global sports field construction projects.

At HG Sports Turf we constantly strive to be the best and have recently launched HERO Hybrid Grass, a game changer for hybrid grass pitches. This new technology will be available through HG Sports Turf and its partners The Motz Group (US) and County Turf (UK & Europe)

Our People

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Hamish Sutherland

Managing Director

Hamish is the Managing Director of HG Group. Commercially driven, he has the unique ability to identify market demands in advance and ensures that HG Sports Turf can supply to these requirements.

Highly skilled in every facet of business, Hamish is well versed in managing the most complex of projects, multiple deadlines, budgets and resources, from procurement to final delivery. His meticulous approach permeates through the company and sets the benchmark for our work, ensuring that HG Sports Turf only deliver the best.

At times, Hamish’s “hands on, can do” approach will see him onsite at projects, enjoying and excelling over and above his Managing Director duties. Hamish is well connected to the heart of HG Sports Turf and delivers on the company ethos and core values.

Erik Kinlon

General Manager - Business Development - Sales & Marketing

With a methodical approach and keen eye for detail, Erik ensures that our projects meet and exceed our clients’ expectations.

A qualified turf professional and avid sportsman, Erik spent ten years working on golf courses in the UK & Ireland before moving across to the sports turf construction industry six years ago. Erik has gained extensive experience constructing sports facilities across many sporting codes including cricket, rugby, AFL and football. Building strong client relationships and providing best solution advice are key motivators for Erik.

Nathan Humphreys

General Manager - Elite Sporting Facilities

As a Rugby League player, qualified turf professional and sports turf construction expert, there is not much about turf that Nathan has not experienced. After a stint as a player for the Canberra Raiders, Nathan began his apprenticeship as a turf manager at Canberra Stadium.

Nathan has worked in the USA, UK and Australia, constructing, renovating and maintaining sports fields and joined HG Sports Turf in 2012.

Nathan has been involved in the construction of elite training facilities for the AFL, the reconstruction of the NIB stadium in Perth and numerous turf replacements at leading Australian venues including the MCG, Etihad Stadium and ANZ Stadium. Nathan has a clear and demonstrative understanding of sports field project requirements, which is an asset to HG Sports Turf clients.

History

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The roots of HG Sports Turf date back to 1960 when Ross Sutherland (father of current directors Hamish and Gavin) set up a successful and innovative seed business in Victoria.

Following a shift in the business direction to premium quality turf growing, we continued to innovate, introducing ‘ready to play’ stabilised turf to the Australian sportsfield market in 1998.

Since 1999, most of the major stadiums in Australia and New Zealand now rely upon our patented Eclipse® stabilised turf. The innovation does not stop there; we now offer both hybrid (natural and synthetic) and fully synthetic turf to sports facilities across Australia, NZ and Asia.

1960

Ross Sutherland establishes seed business, producing pasture and turf seeds for the domestic and
export markets.

1992

HG Turf established to supply premium quality turf to the Melbourne and Country Victorian markets.

1998

HG Turf teams up with The Motz Group Inc. and brings patented stabilised turf to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

1999

HG Turf awarded the contract to supply stabilised turf to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

2000

HG Turf supply stabilised turf to the Sydney Olympic Stadium for the 2000 Olympics.

HG Turf reconstruct the Brisbane Cricket Ground (Gabba) and install stabilised turf, ready for Olympic Football.

HG Turf resurface Canberra Stadium and the MCG with stabilised turf, ready for Olympic Football.

2001

HG Sports Turf formed to focus on growing stadium market.

HG Sports Turf chosen by the then Colonial Stadium to provide stabilised turf and turf maintenance services.

2002

HG Sports Turf resurface three of Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS) natural turf sports fields in Canberra.

2003

HG Sports Turf resurfaces Telstra Dome ready for Rugby World Cup

HG Sports Turf design and construct Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand and install stabilised turf, the first stabilised turf installation in New Zealand.

2004

HG Sports Turf reconstruct the MCG and install stabilised turf.

2005

HG Sports Turf lift and reinstate stabilised turf over the temporary athletics track at the MCG, to facilitate Boxing Day Cricket test, prior to the Commonwealth Games.

2006

HG Sports Turf supply stabilised turf to the MCG for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

HG Sports Turf and The Motz Group Inc. provide stabilised turf for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

2007

HG Sports Turf supply stabilised turf to ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

2009

HG Sports Turf design and construct AMI Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand, and install stabilised turf ready for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

2010

HG Sports Turf resurface Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand with stabilised turf, ready for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

HG Sports Turf chosen by the Australian National University in Canberra to design and construct two full-size synthetic turf soccer and hockey fields tested to FIFA two star and FIH National standards.

HG Sports Turf and Desso Sports Systems chosen by FIFA to design and construct the first synthetic turf soccer field in Guam.

2011

HG Sports Turf chosen by Melbourne Grammar School to construct a synthetic turf oval for AFL and cricket. HG Sports Turf delivers the first synthetic turf oval to be successfully tested to AFL/CA standards.

HG Sports Turf and Desso Sports Systems chosen by FIFA to design and construct the second synthetic turf soccer field in Guam.

2012

HG Sports Turf and The Motz Group chosen by Andersen Air Force Base to design and construct the first synthetic turf American football / soccer field in Guam.

2013

HG Sports Turf and Desso Sports Systems chosen by FIFA to design and construct the third synthetic turf soccer field in Guam.

HG Sports Turf and The Motz Group chosen by Navy Base to design and construct a synthetic turf American football / soccer / rugby field in Guam.

HG Sports Turf reconstruct NIB Stadium in Perth, and install stabilised turf.

HG Sports Turf chosen by the AFL to design and construct the new elite training facility for Great Western Sydney.

HG Sports Turf chosen by Hockey WA to install Greenfields TX, a new water-based synthetic turf hockey pitch, tested to FIH Global standards, at Perth Hockey Stadium.

Greenfields TX is used at the 2014 FIH World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands.

2014

HG Sports Turf chosen by Greenfields to install three new Greenfields TX water-based synthetic turf hockey pitches at the Newcastle International Hockey Centre.

International Partners

HG Sports Turf’s objective is to ensure that we meet or exceed our client’s expectations in everything we do.

We take pride in understanding the needs of our clients and matching the most appropriate and highest quality
products and services to those needs.

Our knowledge of the global sports turf market is unsurpassed and through our robust selection process, we have chosen supply chain partners who are committed to developing and supplying the most innovative, technologically advanced and proven solutions.

The Motz Corporation: HG Sports Turf has worked closely with US based Motz since 1998 and together, we jointly developed the patented Eclipse® stabilised natural turf system, which has been widely adopted by the premier stadiums of Australia and New Zealand and further afield. With the introduction of HERO Hybrid Grass, together HG Sports Turf, The Motz Group and County Turf have formed a partnership to distribute the technology globally.

County Turf: In 2014 HG Sports Turf and County Turf formed a relationship in order to provide innovative sports turf solutions to the UK and European sports turf markets. County Turf’s strength and position in the market has many parallels with HG Sports Turf which has also seen them complete a number of major projects using Eclipse Stabilised Turf and recently HERO Hybrid Grass, including 3 HERO pitches at Real Madrid’s Cicaud Training Centre.

Desso Sports Systems: We have been partners with Desso since 2008 and have jointly developed synthetic turf systems to meet the performance requirements of AFL/CA. We constructed the first AFL/CA certified oval with Desso turf. We also offer the renowned patented Grassmaster® hybrid turf system which is in use on 600 elite sports pitches worldwide including Arsenal FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Twickenham Stadium, Wembley Stadium and several pitches for the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. HG Sports Turf also built and installed the first Desso GrassMaster pitch in Australia for the City Football Group at Melbourne City Football Club.

Greenfields: Leading experts and innovators in synthetic turf design and manufacture. A FIFA and IRB Preferred Producer. HG Sports Turf offers Greenfields’ proprietary systems, including TX, the chosen synthetic turf for the 2014 FIH Hockey World Cup and MX, as used by many premier football clubs in Europe. We also offer XtraGrass Hybrid Grass, the unique and patented woven hybrid grass system. in 2017 HG Sports Turf installed the first Xtragrass Hybrid pitches installed at community level in Australia and New Zealand for Auckland Council.