By GERARD WALSH

GUY Sugden is confident Warwick Rugby Union Club players won't mind getting tackled next year once the irrigated grass on the re-levelled Risdon Oval is established.

The Warwick Water Rats committee member said the field was levelled and cultivated and would be planted with rye and couch grass.

"The field has been ripped up before but has been deteriorating for several years," Sugden said.

"There was a disease in the kikuyu grass; we are planting rye as well as couch as rye gives better coverage in winter.

"We are ready to hook up to the re-cycled water when it is ready from Warwick Shire Council."

Since the end of the 2007 season, work was undertaken on the field with the help of a $50,000 Australian Government Water Grant.

Club committee member Mick Hauff said the irrigation system which was installed would save 36,000l of water each year.

"Our water consumption (on irrigation) will be cut by 70 per cent," Hauff said.

"If we efficiently use re-cycled water for irrigation of fields, more (mains) water will be left for drinking.

"We want to plant the new grass this month and would like the right amount of rain to plant."

Poly tape has been laid 100mm underground in lines 500mm apart to irrigate the field. Once installed, a club member will have to set the irrigation on a timer for each watering.

Sugden said club members Scotty McLellan, John Lewis and Tim and Alex Harslett had put a lot of work into the field.

Long-serving club treasurer Al Blyton said the club certainly did not want a flood before the new grass was established.

"The flood in the 1990s went to the edge of the field but Risdon Oval did go underwater in the flood of 1976," he said.

Warwick just missed the semi finals in the Darling Downs B-grade competition in 2007.