Work to replace the existing surface with new turf that will be suitable for rugby as well as football began in November and was due to be ready for the start of the new year, but poor weather conditions saw the project delayed.

The ‘Field Turf Vertex’ pitch has a one-star rating from world football governing body FIFA, as well as accreditation from the International Rugby Board (IRB), and is used by American Major League Soccer and NFL sides Seattle Sounders and Seattle Seahawks.

It is designed to emulate a natural grass pitch with the added benefits of durability and lower maintenance costs and Andrew Stewart, area manager for Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, added, “The addition of having a pitch suitable for rugby as well as football is exciting. It is great to be able to cater for additional sports and we welcome bookings from rugby clubs for training, and matches, once the rugby posts are installed, which is estimated to be in April.

“The Trust is committed to making leisure opportunities available to local communities and widen access to affordable facilities - the upgraded pitches are a great boost to the local area and we look forward to welcoming customers to try out the new playing surface. The new pitch will be a great asset to Dalgety Bay Leisure Centre, continuing with the tradition of Dalgety Bay providing quality synthetic pitch facilities.”