Stephan Lewies has played enough rugby in South Africa and Europe to know where he stands on playing surfaces — and the veteran Sharks lock emphatically prefers lush green grass to synthetic fibres.
The 34-year-old will get another taste of artificial turf on Friday night when the Sharks face Cardiff at the Arms Park in a United Rugby Championship clash.
“I prefer grass!” said Lewies, who spent seven seasons with English Premiership club Harlequins before returning to the Sharks earlier this year.
“We were talking about it earlier — there should be an age limit on 4G pitches. The older you get, the harder it gets!” he laughed.
Lewies’ view is widely shared in professional rugby, with concerns about artificial surfaces gaining prominence after a series of injury-related incidents in England.
Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit recently called for artificial pitches to be scrapped after emerging from Bristol Bears’ 30-7 defeat by Saracens with a heavily grazed right leg. He posted a picture of the injury on social media, calling for action against what he described as “Astroturf pitches”.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam also raised concerns about the surface at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium, revealing that he had left three key players out of the match-day squad because of the potential risks. Pedro Rubiolo, AJ MacGinty and Steven Luatua had all returned from significant injuries, and Lam did not consider the risk worthwhile.
“They came off big injuries last season so it wasn’t worth putting them on that pitch,” Lam said.
Lewies is not suggesting that artificial pitches should be dismissed without considering the practicalities. Having spent years in English rugby, he understands why clubs have increasingly turned to synthetic surfaces.
British weather can make maintaining natural grass expensive and demanding, particularly for clubs hosting matches throughout the winter.
“I’m not a big fan. I love grass pitches. I think that’s how it should be in the pro game,” Lewies said.
“But it is what it is. You can’t change that. Both teams are playing on the same surface.”
The former Springbok, who earned one Test cap, believes the debate goes beyond personal preference, with player welfare at the heart of the issue.
“I think most players would tell you they don’t like them, because of injuries,” he said.
“But for obvious reasons in the UK, the weather, it’s understandable. The cost implications for clubs which have grass pitches are massive. Every year you basically have to redo the pitch.
“So I think it’s a lot more than just my opinion of ‘I don’t like it’. There are reasons for the pitch, and the biggest ones are weather and financial.
“But as a player, I think you’re going to go far to find a player who says he’d rather play on 4G than on grass.”
Saracens have defended their playing surface amid the criticism, with chief executive Ed Coetzee insisting that it meets the necessary certification, maintenance and safety requirements. The club says the pitch holds a valid World Rugby Regulation 22 certificate until April 2028 and that it follows a rigorous maintenance programme.
For Lewies, the physical demands are becoming increasingly noticeable as he enters the latter stages of a career that has taken him from Durban to English rugby and back again.
The lock returned to Sharks colours for the first time in seven years when he featured in the match-day squad for the 39-22 URC defeat by the Stormers in Cape Town. He subsequently started in the Sharks’ impressive 40-33 Challenge Cup victory over Lyon in France, underlining the value of his experience to the Durban side.
“The older you get, the harder it gets. I don’t think it’s a secret,” he said.
“I am loving being back at the Sharks. Some things haven’t changed; other things have changed dramatically. I guess the big one is that I am the older guy now, and keeping up with the youngsters is tough.”