The future is looking bright for New Zealand’s up and coming sports turf specialists who are gaining valuable work experience at some of the country’s top international sporting events.
Several sports turf students from the Otago Polytechnic, which runs the only full-time sports turf programme in New Zealand, have been selected to help prepare the grounds for three upcoming high profile events. They will work alongside Dunedin and Queenstown groundkeepers for two Black Caps versus West Indies international cricket matches as well as assisting with the NZ Golf Open to be held at Michael Hill’s private golf course in March. Otago Polytech Sports Turf Management Programme Manager Gary Smith is delighted his students will have opportunity to “get ahead of the game”.
“It’s great to get these sorts of opportunities and we’re very lucky to have such strong industry support and referrals to our course,” says Gary. “New Zealand Cricket and New Zealand Golf have each endorsed our course because the students develop all the turf knowledge and skills required to get a position of responsibility within the industry. There’s real demand for sports turf specialists, particularly in New Zealand and Australia, so the world is really their oyster if they want to travel. Our graduates are highly valued and post-course job placement is nearly 100 percent.”
Otago Polytech’s sports turf programme, which has been running in Central Otago since 1999, covers the management of golf courses, rugby grounds, cricket venues, and other sporting venues. It has a 50-50 mix of theory and practical work, as well as work experience every week at top sporting facilities. At the end of the two-year course students graduate with a National Certificate in Sports Turf Management (Level 4) which is recognised worldwide. Former students are now working in America, Europe, Ireland and Australia. Others closer to home include Dunedin’s University Oval Head Groundsman Tom Tamati who graduated in 2002, 2006 graduate Bede O’Connell who’s now second-in-charge groundkeeper at Hamilton’s Seddon Park international cricket ground, and 2008 graduate Dane McRae who’s now Queenstown Events Centre’s second-in-charge groundkeeper. Gary says the ‘learn by doing’ approach of the programme is part of the Polytech’s philosophy - one he shares wholeheartedly. “My philosophy is ‘real people with real skills get real jobs’. We want students to gain real life knowledge from industry professionals and being able to work alongside some of the country’s top groundkeepers is a great way to learn.”
A highly qualified sports turf specialist with more than 30 years in the industry, Gary will be on the ground supervising his students and giving them advice. A passionate and enthusiastic sportsman himself, Gary’s career has taken him around the world both through work and attending sports turf conferences as part of his role as former president of the Otago Greenkeepers Superintendents Association and delegate on the NZ Greenkeeper Superintendents Association. He has also managed championship golf courses and been involved with several NZ Golf Opens and One Day Cricket internationals.
Photo caption (from left to right): Blacks Caps player Shane Bond, 2006 graduate Bede O'Connell and Captain of the Black Caps Daniel Vettori.
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