A harsh early winter has left the Dunedin City Council with no option but to close grounds or face games being played in mud for the rest of the winter.
The council grounds were closed again yesterday when they received another soaking. Still more rain is forecast, putting doubts over playing sport in the weekend.
Council sports field facilities officer Harold Driver said the rain over the past week had soaked the grounds. They might appear to be not too soft but once a game was played on them they would turn to mud.
Some grounds were open last Saturday for games to be played but most grounds had been closed for the past week.
Although he could not give an exact date, he said it had been some years since the grounds had been closed for such a long period.
"We are trying to manage it the best we can but it is pretty difficult when you get one fine day and then a heavy dose of rain," he said.
"We've still got June, July and August to get through yet so we can't have the grounds ankle deep in mud now."
It had rained very early in winter and, with the shortest day still a month away, it was hard for the grounds to get dry, as there were not enough sunshine hours.
It was too early to predict what games would be cancelled on Saturday, he said.
