Louis Rees-Zammit has called on Saracens to scrap their artificial pitch, describing player welfare as "just non-existent" on the surface and demanding urgent action. The Wales international suffered painful grazes and scarring on his legs after Bristol's recent match against Saracens, prompting him to speak out on Instagram and on his new podcast, SideStep.
Rees-Zammit's Criticism
Speaking alongside England and Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith on the podcast, Rees-Zammit insisted that even Saracens players are unhappy competing on the surface. "Player welfare is just non-existent on that pitch, I'm telling you," he said. "Even Saracens players hate that pitch. I completely agree with doing community events and all of that stuff, I think it's unbelievable what we can do with grassroots. But, ultimately, player welfare and protecting us as players... even kids."
Rees-Zammit also shared pictures of his injuries and referenced messages from young players. "The amount of messages I got from kids sending me photos of grazes on their legs, exactly what I had, it was thousands and they are saying 'this is what happened to me on an astro pitch'," he added.
Surface Concerns
Smith supported his international teammate's worries, highlighting the lack of cushioning in the playing surface. "For me, that's [potential injuries] the biggest issue. There's no real give in it. It's like concrete."
Rees-Zammit argued that the frequency of use adds to the problem and urged the club to fund a replacement. "It is literally concrete because they have people playing on it every day, now I'm left with scars on my legs," he said. "It's not something I want, or anyone wants. If your own club's players are saying this is horrible... just pay a little bit for new turf. It needs to be dealt with ASAP."
