Pupils at St Theresa's School in Windsor now have an all-weather pitch certified to FIFA standards, after the school opened a new multi-sport facility that its supplier says is the first of its kind in New Zealand.

The SmartGrass TriPlay 27 turf was officially opened at midday on Monday 12 October at the school's King Street site, with students, families and members of the wider community on hand.

Alongside the pitch, the project includes a custom running track circling the field and a nine-hole mini golf course in which each hole represents a different culture within the school community.

The turf carries markings for cricket and futsal as well as football, and further sport markings can be added.

Principal Julian Ineson said the previous field was frequently out of action in wet weather, which pushed physical education lessons into the school hall. The new surface means the outdoor space can be used all year.

He described it as "a real multi-use facility that exposes them to different sports", and said the excitement was shared by the whole school and the wider community. "You can already see the smiles," he said.

Ineson credited the project team and the school's caretaker for seeing the work through.

Designed by the school

The project took four months of design and 12 weeks of construction. SmartGrass supplied the turf and advised on the project, while the school led the design. Ground preparation was carried out by a local Southland contractor.

SmartGrass general manager Kerry Forde, who grew up in Invercargill, said the school had done a great job on the design and his company had simply provided guidance. He described the finished pitch as a real beacon for anyone flying into Invercargill.

When the turf eventually reaches the end of its life, it will be recycled.

The opening comes ahead of a programme of six FIFA mini-pitches that SmartGrass is installing around New Zealand from this month, part of a global FIFA initiative to build 1,000 mini-pitches worldwide.

The cost of the St Theresa's project has not been made public.

For the school, the practical gain is a surface that can be used through Southland's wet winters, lines for several codes on the one field, and more time outdoors for pupils whose PE lessons were often pushed into the hall.