Louis Rees-Zammit has called for Premiership rugby to stop using artificial pitches after suffering friction burns during Bristol’s defeat at Saracens. The Wales winger shared an image of his leg and urged action on the playing surface.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam also questioned the pitch, explaining that he had left out three players returning from significant injuries because he did not want to expose them to that setting.
Saracens introduced an artificial surface in 2013, with Newcastle and Gloucester later adopting similar pitches. The comments add to a debate about playing conditions and player welfare; they do not by themselves establish that a particular surface caused every injury or announce a league-wide change in policy.
